4.06 Genetic Park: DNA

Genie sure left in a hurry. She always does that whenever her groups come this way. Her skin crawls whenever she hears the flute of the snake charmer at the Snake Pit. Anyway...welcome to the Snake Pit!; I'm Dirk, the local snake expert.

Snakes come in every color of the rainbow and sizes large enough to eat a small alligator. Snakes also come very small, like this pygmy rattler, whose bite is very dangerous. Here in Genetic Park, we have one of the most diverse collections of snakes in the world. What was that coral snake rhyme, is it red and black good for Jack or yellow good for the fellow? Hmmm...Can't remember right now, we better go inside just to be safe.

In this activity you will:

learn that DNA are the instructions necessarily for all living organisms to grow and live and can be found in all cells
analyze the structure of DNA
illustrate how the structure of DNA allows it to copy itself accurately

The Honors student will:

apply basic DNA extraction procedures to view DNA
analyze the purpose of materials used in DNA extraction procedures
have an opportunity to do an Above and Beyond experiment in which you design further investigation of the DNA extraction procedure and report the outcome

a variety of rattlesnakes: Mojave rattlesnake, Mexican Ridged Nosed rattlesnake, Black-tailed rattlesnake, Western rattlesnake and Southern Pacific rattlesnake

Rattlesnakes are a group of very dangerous, poisonous snakes called pit vipers. There are at least 26 different species of rattlesnakes, and a forest floor can hide them from plain view. As you can see, even I wear special gear when handling the snakes. Because of a rattlesnake's excellent camouflage, you should always were thick boots like the ones I have on, when hiking in the woods.

All these species here at the Snake Pit are different in their size and markings, but they are similar in their colors. This is a great example of how only a few small changes in the genetic makeup can produce a variety of species.

Ah, I see Genie's back, so it must be time for you to move on. Hey, Genie, take a look at this. My, what big fangs this one has.

Thanks, Dirk. I can handle it from here. We will be heading over to DNA Gallery, where you are going to investigate the structure and role of DNA. And, soon you will discover how this remarkable molecule can produce the diversity of life on Earth.

Move on to the BioVenture tab to continue this activity.

Images © clipart.com 2006 with the exception of Mojave Rattlesnake and Southern Pacific Rattlesnake © USGS (Kathie Meyer), Western Rattlesnake © Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2006, Mexican Ridgednosed Rattlesnake and Black-tailed Rattlesnake © Department of Fish and Wildlife