Unit 6 Reflection

Unit 6 was all about biotechnology. First, we learned that biotech is the study and manipulation of living things to benefit mankind. We learned that there are four different applications of biotechnology as well as what bioethics are. We learned that recombinant DNA (rDNA) is DNA produced by combining DNA from different organisms and made our own rDNA. [Recombinant DNA Lab Conclusion]. We learned that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique that allows us to make many copies of a specific gene. After learning that gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments by size, we saw if for ourselves in the Gel Electrophoresis lab and tested it on colored dyes from various candies such as Skittles, M&M's, and Mike and Ikes.

Gel electrophoresis: dyed before running electrical current through gel

Gel electrophoresis: dyes travel more depending on the DNA fragment size

In the pGLO lab, we learned more about bacterial transformation and how it transforms a cell by passing DNA between the two. In the pGLO lab, we used E.Coli bacteria and the pGLO plasmid, and found that arabinose is the thing that makes the bacteria colonies glow under UV light. 

pGLO: plates with pGLO plasmid developed bacteria colonies

pGLO: plates kept in a controlled 37°C environment overnight before colonies accumulated

For me, this unit was fairly confusing, for the most part, but some of my strengths included understanding gel electrophoresis very well and understanding plasmids and restriction enzymes. I think all the information we learned more about by doing labs on them is more understandable for me, because, since I am both a visual and kinesthetic learner, doing and seeing the material we are learning about, really helps me retain the information and process it and then have a fuller understanding on the material shown in labs. My weaknesses this unit would probably be anything we didn't do a lab on, such as PCR.

I would like to learn more about gel electrophoresis and what other things pGLO is used for. I would like to know more about polymerase chain reactions, because I feel like I don't fully understand what it is and why we really need to use it. I learned more about the biotech world and what you can do with it.

Looking back to the New Years Goals post, I feel like I have been succeeding in my time management, as of right now. I've been able to get work done earlier as compared to staying up late, trying to finish homework. I think a lot of it is because I don't have my extracurriculars every day now, only twice a week, which allows time to do my homework right when I get home. As for the studying without distractions, I think I've been pretty focused on what I'm doing, whether it is doing homework, studying, or even just practicing for guard. I've been less distracted about other things, and I don't get disrupted as often as I used to when studying.