DNA, genes and the whole genome
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| gene/dʒiːn/ | 基因 | jī yīn |
| genome/ˈdʒiːnəʊm/ | 基因组 | jī yīn zǔ |
What would explain this observation?
- A gene 基因 is a section, a chromosome is an organised structure and a genome 基因组 is the whole genetic collection. These words describe different scales.
- Start with a prediction. State the quantities or features you would compare, then decide what evidence could distinguish two explanations.
Build the model
- DNA is the genetic material found in chromosomes in the nucleus in the ordinary animal-cell model. It is a polymer with two strands forming a double helix. A gene is a small section of DNA on a chromosome. It codes for a particular sequence of amino acids that forms a specific protein. The genome is the entire genetic material of an organism.
- genome: The entire genetic material of an organism; gene: A section of DNA coding a particular amino-acid sequence.
Which description defines the genome?
Studying the human genome helps researchers search for genes linked to disease, understand inherited disorders and investigate treatments. Comparing inherited DNA patterns also helps trace human migration in the past. A statistical link is not proof that a gene alone determines a person’s future health; many characteristics involve several genes and environmental influences.
Match each technical term to its precise meaning.
Use the definitions to distinguish related quantities and processes.
Choose evidence that can test it
- Studying the human genome helps researchers search for genes linked to disease, understand inherited disorders and investigate treatments. Comparing inherited DNA patterns also helps trace human migration in the past. A statistical link is not proof that a gene alone determines a person’s future health; many characteristics involve several genes and environmental influences.
- Use a paper scale model showing chromosome → DNA section → gene, then explain why the genome includes more than one selected gene. Evaluate a fictional genome-study claim by identifying what was measured, whether the evidence supports association or cause, and what additional environmental information is missing.
Which two habits make the investigation or model in this case more defensible?
Use a paper scale model showing chromosome → DNA section → gene, then explain why the genome includes more than one selected gene. Evaluate a fictional genome-study claim by identifying what was measured, whether the evidence supports association or cause, and what additional environmental information is missing.
Work from known quantities
- State the known values and their units. Choose the relation because its assumptions fit this case, then rearrange before substitution.
- Known: a model DNA strand contains 1,200 bases and a marked gene occupies 180. Marked fraction = 180/1,200 = 15%. This is a supplied model, not a claim about typical human gene length or the percentage of the human genome that codes for proteins. A marked gene is only one part of the whole collection.
A model gene occupies 240 of 1,600 bases in a displayed strand. Find the marked percentage. Use the same sequence: known quantities → model → relation → substitution → unit and interpretation.
A model gene occupies 240 of 1,600 bases in a displayed strand. Find the marked percentage.
The result is 15 %. Known: a model DNA strand contains 1,200 bases and a marked gene occupies 180. Marked fraction = 180/1,200 = 15%. This is a supplied model, not a claim about typical human gene length or the percentage of the human genome that codes for proteins. A marked gene is only one part of the whole collection.
Check the conclusion and its limits
- A genome is not one chromosome or all the proteins in a cell. DNA is not made of amino acids; proteins are. Genome information can inform research without justifying deterministic predictions or disclosure of personal genetic information.
- Return to the original observation. Explain what the result supports, which conditions it assumes, and one way to test a competing explanation.
A genome contains only a single gene. This claim is false: A genome is not one chromosome or all the proteins in a cell. DNA is not made of amino acids; proteins are. Genome information can inform research without justifying deterministic predictions or disclosure of personal genetic information.
DNA, genes and the whole genome: Studying the human genome helps researchers search for genes linked to disease, understand inherited disorders and investigate treatments. Comparing inherited DNA patterns also helps trace human migration in the past. A statistical link is not proof that a gene alone determines a person’s future health; many characteristics involve several genes and environmental influences.
A genome contains only a single gene.
A genome is not one chromosome or all the proteins in a cell. DNA is not made of amino acids; proteins are. Genome information can inform research without justifying deterministic predictions or disclosure of personal genetic information.
The entire genetic material of an organism: write the technical term.
genome means The entire genetic material of an organism.