What are some of the risks involved in therapeutic cloning?

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Part 1:

Directions: Explore the attached article and videos.  Answer the associated questions with a few short sentences.  Each question is worth 1 point unless otherwise noted for a total of 35 points.   Please submit under the “journals” tab under the heading “DNA: Gene therapy and cloning”.

DNA : Gene therapy and cloning

Directions: Explore the attached article and videos below. Answer the associated questions with a few short sentences. Each question is worth 1 point unless otherwise noted for a total of 35 points. Please submit under the “journals” tab under the heading “DNA: Gene therapy and cloning”.

Picture courtesy of http://img.timeinc.net/time/2001/stemcells/images/stemcells.jpg

What are the ethical issues surrounding the stem cell debate?

“Human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research offers much hope for alleviating the human suffering brought on by the ravages of disease and injury. HESCs are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and their ability to differentiate into all types of cells of the body. The main goal of HESC research is to identify the mechanisms that govern cell differentiation and to turn HESCs into specific cell types that can be used for treating debilitating and life-threatening diseases and injuries….”

(#1) Ethics of Stem Cell Research: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stem-cells/ (5 points)

1. The standard view of those that oppose Human Stem Cell Research is that a human being begins to exist with the emergence of what?

2. Why do Smith and Brogard (2003) and McMahan (2002) reject the stipulation that the early human embryo is a human being?

3. What are some of the capacities that are necessary for the right to Life?

4. How does the article morally distinguish the creation of embryos for reproductive purposes from the creation of embryos for research and therapeutic reasons? (2 points)

(#2) The Ethical Questions of Stem Cell Research (6 minutes) (4 points)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5d0ieWfKlI

1. What were the first guidelines available in the United States for governing the use of stem cells in research?

2. What is the Hinxton group?

3. Under the National Academy of Science, What does ESCROC stand for?

4. Who is involved in ESCROC?

What is the technology behind our understanding of gene transfer and cloning?

http://www.intechopen.com/source/html/44748/media/image4.jpeg Image result for clones

Pictures courtesy of: http://www.wnd.com/files/2012/12/babies-cloning-340×255.jpg

http://www.intechopen.com/source/html/44748/media/image4.jpeg

(#3)Eyes of Nye: Cloning (24 minutes) (11 points)

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=eyes+of+nye+cloning&&view=detail&mid=80D719E65E993F03C22880D719E65E993F03C228&FORM=VRDGAR

1. What are some of the benefits to therapeutic cloning?

2. Describe the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer. (2 points)

3. The first patent for cloning was given to the scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep. What did this provide for the company?

4. Dr. Billie Swalla uses stem cell research to study how genes do what?

5. Why does reproductive cloning not work very well?

6. Dolly died at the age of 7 indicating what about the nucleus used?

7. Dr. Hans Keirstead works with human embryonic stem cells in hopes of treating what kinds of injuries?

8. What evidence is shown (with the rats) that human embryonic stem cells have great therapeutic hope for the future?

9. What is happening inside the rat with the injected stem cells?

10. Where does Dr. Jeffery Kahn stand with regard to moral rights of the embryo?

11. Is there a law in the United States that prohibits that prohibits cloning?

(#4) Stem Cells- The Future: An Introduction to iPS cells (16 minutes) (5 points)

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=stem+cells+the+future+videos&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=42240DF444901218969542240DF4449012189695

1. What are some of the benefits for using iPS cells? (2 points)

2. What types of patients does Dr. Shinyayamanaka hope to help with his technology?

3. What are the new ethical questions that arise with this technology? (2 points)

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/archive/covers/95/6_12_95_205x273.jpghttps://kinoimages.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/christopherreeve-herb-ritts.jpg

Images courtesy of: http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/archive/covers/95/6_12_95_205x273.jpghttps://kinoimages.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/christopherreeve-herb-ritts.jpg

(#5) Cloning Humans? – (30 minutes) (10 points)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4JoRy_vNEw

1. What is the difference between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning?

2. The Eugenics movement in the first part of the 20th century resulted in sterilization of certain members of the population whose genes were determined to not be desirable. How is cloning related to this movement? (3 points)

3. Dr. Brent Blackwelder (President of “Friends of the Earth”) claims that genetic engineering will be similar to “invasive species” which could harm the environment. True or false?

4. According to the video, before researchers can use cloning in their research they must do what (in the code of practice)?

5. What was the cloning scandal that occurred in Korea?

6. What are some of the risks involved in therapeutic cloning? (2 points)

7. According to the video, the media has misled the public leading them to believe that only embryonic stem cells could be used to cure certain diseases (such as Parkinsons, or spinal cord defects). True or False?

Structure and Functions of Organs

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Structure and Functions of Organs

 

Identify an organism that lives within 50 miles of your home.

 

Write an at least 1,050-word research paper about how the organism has adapted to survive in their specific environment. Include the following points in your paper:

  • Briefly describe the environment (temperature, landscape, food sources, etc.) and describe the organism’s role in the environment. Determine which organism your chosen organism be most closely related to using a phylogenetic tree. (2 pts)
  • Identify the structures and functions of the main organs found in your selected organism. (2 pts)
  • Explain how the organism has evolved physiologically to become suited to its environment. (2 pts)

THEN:

  • Explain how things would change if the organism were to be transplanted to a significantly different environment:
  • Describe the new environment specifically. (1 pts)
  • Would their organ system still be as efficient?  Why or why not? (2 pts)
  • Would the organism survive in this new environment?  Why or why not? (1 pts)

Might want to use prompts as headings.

 

+ Include a diagram with structures labelled and other appropriate pictures in your paper and make sure to provide a full reference for the images in your reference section. (2 pts)

 

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines including references and in-text citations. Your paper should include a well-written introduction and conclusion. Use only academic research sources. (3 pts – 1 pt References 2 pts format) No first person point of view as a research paper.

What is the central dogma of biology?

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1. What is the central dogma of biology?  This is part which provided the general framework for how genetic information flows from DNA sequence to a protein product inside cells.

                                 a                      b

            _____________ à ____________ à ____________________

 

            The arrows indicate what processes?   a)

                                                                               b)

 

i neeed (a) and (b) 

 

 

 

5. Explain the semi-conservative model of DNA replication.  Draw/depict it.

 

 

and the drawing part in 5 

 

 18. The DNA strand provided below is the template strand.  Fill in the complementary RNA nucleotides, then use the genetic code (Fig17.5) to fill in the amino acids (use 3-letter abbreviations) that the RNA codons specify.

 

                        DNA:     TAC    –    TGG    –    ACA    –    GCG    –    TCA    –    CAT    –    ATT

 

RNA:    

 

        AMINO ACIDS:

within 3 hrs 

Lyme Disease

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Question 1

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. I took my General Biology class on a field trip at the end of the spring semester in late April to Cattus Island County Park in Toms River, New Jersey. We noticed many of us had these tiny ticks crawling on us. There is a huge controversy in the medical community about diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. I know how debilitating chronic Lyme disease can be and have seen friends struggle with horrible chronic symptoms. The current guidelines call for limiting antibiotic treatment to a period of one month. Many physicians, however, disagree with these guidelines and continue to treat their patients for years with antibiotics. Some of these physicians have had their licenses to practice suspended for this reason. Insurance companies may refuse to pay for medication beyond this point.

There is an excellent documentary film that played this summer called “Under Our Skin.” Here is the movie trailer which highlights the issues: http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html

Write a response to the following discussion question in the Discussion forum:

What happened to the vaccine?

Why is the lab testing not definitive?

What do we do for patients with chronic effects?

Note. Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 400–500 words. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Question 2

Florida Vibrio Update

Read the article “Florida Vibrio update: 2 additional cases reported, one death in Brevard County”

“The Brevard case brings the state death tally due to V. vulnificus to six, while the total number of cases reported in 2014 to date rises to 28. Vibriosis (“vibrio”) is a rare but potentially dangerous infection associated with swimming in natural waters, particularly warm bodies of salt or brackish water, or from eating contaminated seafood (usually raw or undercooked oysters).” http://outbreaknewstoday.com/florida-vibrio-update-2-additional-cases-reported-one-death-in-brevard-county-82967/

Write a 400- to 500-word response on the V. vulnificus outbreak or on one of the other water borne-infections such as Amebiasis, Campylobacteriosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Cholera, E. Coli 0157:H7, Giardiasis, Hepatitis A, Legionellosis, Salmonellosis, or Polio. A great resource for the latest outbreaks is award winning ProMed Mail website which is used by microbiologists and epidemiologists world wide to track infection spread. http://www.promedmail.org/

Note. Please include at least two quality references. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines