Unit 6 Reflection

In unit 6, we learned about biotechnology and how it benefits people around the world. The themes and essential understandings are about different examples of biotech. Biotechnology uses advanced technology, such as genetic engineering, to manipulate living things and bring positive impacts to people’s lives. One example of genetic engineering that we learned is recombinant DNA, which involves replacing defective genes with effective ones so that the organism can inherit certain trait that is helpful and benefitial. We also learned about the process of gel electrophoresis, which is the separation of DNA strands based on their lengths. Another concept we talked about is bacteria transformations, which is the transferring of plasmid into the bacteria.

When learning this unit, my strength is understanding the benefits and importance of biotech. My weakness is understanding how the process of genetic engineering works because I was a little confused about the steps in each experiment. In the end, everything went well and was successful without any major drawbacks. I was able to get most of my answers questioned, which cleared up the confusion.

Our group did the following labs:

1. “Recombinant DNA Lab”

 http://meganlinbio.blogspot.com/2016/01/recombinant-dna-lab.html,

2. “Candy Electrophoresis Lab” 

http://meganlinbio.blogspot.com/2016/01/candy-electrophoresis-lab.html

3. “pGLO Lab”

http://meganlinbio.blogspot.com/2016/01/pglo-lab.html

By doing these lab, I was able to learn about the steps that scientists go through in order to produce the  desired result from the experiment. I also learned about how the process of genetic engineering works and how simple some procedures are.

            I want to learn more about how bacteria transformation can be applied to benefit the society. I want to ask questions about how scientists discovered these methods of genetic engineering. I also wonder if scientists can develop technologies that can improve cancer treatment.

           In the past few weeks, I have been working hard to reach my goals. I am using my planners and accomplishing all my tasks. I am also improving my tone and tuning on my flute. I will continue to work on being productive and will continue to practice flute everyday. 

Sources:

Genetic Engineering. Digital image. Genetic Engineering or Genetic Modification (GM). N.p., n.d. Web.   24 Jan. 2016. <http://biologyboom.com/genetic-engineering/>.

Slack, Jonathan. PGLO Animal. Digital image. How a Jellyfish Protein Transformed Science. Allison                           MacLachlan, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/16752-gfp-protein-fluorescent-nih-nigms.html>.

What Is Genetic Engineering. Perf. Eco-Wise Video. N.p., 28 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IsQ92KiBwM>.