Unit 5 Reflection

   In unit 5, we learned deeper into how and what DNA is. DNA is constantly being replicated. DNA is composed of a nitrogen base(A,T,C,G), a phosphate group, and a sugar(deoxyribose). DNA is antiparallel and is made of a two strands, double helix. A goes with T and C goes with G. We also learned about RNA, which is only one stranded. A RNA Polymerase will attach onto a DNA strand and start transcribing the DNA, then it shoots out the mRNA with the same code. In mRNA the T is switched with U. The mRNA then leaves the nucleus and goes to the ribosomes. The ribosomes then translate the code into amino acidsl, which are the ones that create the proteins. We also learned more about mutations. Mutation can be natural but mostly caused by something. There is substitution, which changes one base into another, insertion, meaning one base is inserted into the code, or there is also deletion, meaning one base is deleted from three code. The most harmful is deletion, for it is a frame-shift mutation. The more changes in the  DNA, the more there is a difference in the protein being created. Last but not least, we learned about gene expression and gene regulation. Gene expression is how one gene is expressed in different areas of your body. Gene regulation is how gene are regulated on how they are being expressed. Eukaryotic regulation are much more complicated. There are histones and nucleusomes. I did not understand how gene regulations worked very well, for the process is very complicated and there is a lot of components. My strengths were in translating the codons.

  From this unit, I have grown a lot in relation with everything that has to with DNA. With this unit and these many labs, I have learned about how and why DNA is how it is. I have also learned to challenge myself in learning more complicated subjects that take time to fully understand. The many labs we preformed have help me understand and I am also better at following and creating labs. I am a better student, for now I have worked and learned more challenging units and can now better understand and also no know how to learn subjects that I may not understand on the first try.