BIOCHEMISTRY
Competency 208.5.1: DNA, RNA - The graduate demonstrates how nucleic acid polymers can transform cells and transmit information within the cell.
Introduction:
Nucleic acids store and transmit information within cells. Changes to nucleic acid sequence often underlie disease. In this assessment, you will explore how:
• DNA is structured,
• the integrity of a DNA sequence is maintained through DNA repair,
• DNA and RNA work together to transmit information,
• antibiotics disrupt the flow of information in bacterial cells,
• changes to DNA sequence lead to changes in protein structure,
• mutations can result in disease,
• the principles of DNA replication are applied to genetic testing techniques, and
• genetic changes are inherited.
You will work through two different scenarios to complete this assessment. Use Scenario 1 to complete parts A-C. Use Scenario 2 to complete parts D-F.
Scenario 1:
A 19-year-old woman whose paternal grandmother died from breast cancer seeks counseling to determine whether she is at increased risk of developing breast cancer. You will create an educational document to help the client understand how DNA works in cells, how genetic testing works, and how the BRCA1 gene is inherited. To better inform the client, you will discuss how BRCA1 is a DNA repair gene involved in double-strand break repair and how mutations in the BRCA1 gene have been linked to the development of some types of breast and ovarian cancer.
Scenario 2:
School administration is battling a serious case of bacterial infection among the student body. The students are curious how antibiotics will kill the bacteria, while leaving the person who takes the drug unharmed. You must provide a sound scientific explanation to the students.
Requirements:
Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. Use the Turnitin Originality Report available in Taskstream as a guide for this measure of originality.
You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.
Note: Save the attached "ZZP Tasks Spreadsheet" to your computer, then open the file. When the file opens, enter your name and student ID as they appear in Taskstream into the appropriate boxes. When you do this, the components you need to complete parts A, E, and F of this task will populate in the worksheet. If the attached template does not open or is missing information, please contact Ecare at [email protected] for assistance with opening the file. WGU has partnered with Microsoft to offer Office for free for our students. Please click on this link and enter your WGU student email (use your @my.wgu.edu account) to find out eligibility: https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/office-in-education-FX104367920.aspx.
Note: Diagrams may be used to support your responses.
Create a document to educate the client in "Scenario 1." The document should include the following:
A. Explain how polymerase chain reaction (PCR) works and how PCR could be used to identify whether or not the client carries the assigned BRCA1 mutation.
Note: The normal DNA and amino acid sequence for the relevant portion of the BRCA1 gene is provided in the attached ‘BRCA1' document.
1. Explain how the assigned BRCA1 mutation would alter the BRCA1 protein.
2. Describe two ways PCR is similar to or different from DNA replication in the cell.
B. Explain how the client could have inherited a BRCA1 mutation from her paternal grandmother.
C. Explain why not inheriting a BRCA1 mutation reduces the risk of getting breast cancer, but does not eliminate it.
Using "Scenario 2," explain how antibiotics kill bacteria while leaving the person unharmed. Include the following:
D. Explain information flow within all cells (i.e, central dogma), including the major biomolecules and processes involved.
E. Explain how the assigned antibiotic can inhibit protein production by interrupting the flow of information within a bacterial cell.
F. Discuss how the assigned antibiotic is able to selectively target bacterial (prokaryotic) cells while leaving human cells unharmed.
G. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
Normal DNA and protein sequence for the relevant protion of BRCA1
