1. Background/Introductions: Hormones are a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in blood to stimulate target cells or tissues into action. There are many glands and lobes in the endocrine system that produce hormones, but for this experiment we are particularly interested in the pituitary gland and the intermediate lobe because those are the two parts of it that produce Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MHS). These hormones are peptide hormones that are produced in response to UV light, but are not a direct feedback mechanism. When the hormones are secreted out of the glands, they travel through the bloodstream until they reach melanocytes located in the skin between the epidermal and dermal layers, where they transport …show more content…
Specifically in red hair, light skin people and in dogs.
2. Specific Aim(s): Questions that will be answered: How particular SNP’s ultimately affect the structure and function of the MSH receptor, leading to decreased signaling by the receptor. What is the normal structure and function of the MHS receptor? Where within the structure do normal amino acids reside? What is the side chain structure of the variant and non-variant amino acids at the polymorphic sites? How might the variant amino acids alter the structure and/or function of the protein?
A. The goal of this project is to find a correlation between the MSHR amino acid variation and skin type. Then use the correlation to explore the effects of amino acid variants on the structure and function of the MSH receptor.
B. Hypothesis: If we can perform the PCR reaction of a dogs DNA, then we will be able to compare its amino acid structure to its hair color, as well as simply compare it to a humans.
C. We will test this hypothesis by attempting to see if we can perform the PCR reaction for dogs, since the primers are optimized for humans. If we can we will sequence them with human DNA. Additionally, we will also see if we can modify the PCR reaction in order to obtain a PCR product from the dog DNA. If we get a product from the PCR reaction, it will be
1. (2 marks) In this experiment, you have amplified the D1S80 locus by PCR. Explain the advantages of using this locus to distinguish one person from another. Do you think you could use a coding gene for the same purpose? Clearly explain your answers.
crime scene could be analyzed and compared with a sample from a suspect. A match could place
In this experiment, contractions of the earthworm gut are measured in an organ bath with a force transducer. The effect of neurotransmitters and ionic concentrations on contraction strength and rate will be investigated.
The mole is a convenient unit for analyzing chemical reactions. Avogadro’s number is equal to the mole. The mass of a mole of any compound or element is the mass in grams that corresponds to the molecular formula, also known as the atomic mass. In this experiment, you will observe the reaction of iron nails with a solution of copper (II) chloride and determine the number of moles involved in the reaction. You will determine the number of moles of copper produced in the reaction of iron and copper (II) chloride, determine the number of moles of iron used up in the reaction of iron and copper (II) chloride, determine the ratio of moles of iron to moles of copper, and determine the number of atoms and formula units involved in
Roi1 is also known as rough eye and it is a dominant mutation which causes abnormal patterns and genomic inversions in the D.melanogaster eye (Chanut et al. 2002). The recombination map location of the Roi1 is 2-54.7. The gl3 is an allele and the Gl1 is a protein for the gl gene, also known as glass, both are located at 3-63.1. The gl gene is known to reduce the size of the adult D. melanogaster eye. Even though the gl3 is a weak allele for the glass gene it produces a really pigmented eye ( Ma et al. 1996). The rh1 gene is known as rhodopsin; the recombination map location is at 3.66.4. Rh1 causes degeneration of the D. melanogaster retina (Kristaponyete et al. 2012). Rho1 also known as the rhomboid gene, is closely related to the roughed (ru); which happens to be a recessive eye mutation (Wasserman
There are three main types of EB. Each is caused by a different mutation. The most common type of EB is Epidermolysis Bullosa simplex (EBS). This variation is unlike the other two in the fact that it is autosomal dominant. The gene that is mutated is called keratin 14 or KRT14 for short. This gene in particular codes for keratins, a type of protein that forms skin, hair and nails. There are over 60 mutations that have been found in people living with EBS from this gene alone. Keratin 14 is located on chromosome 17.
The objective is to find and isolate the genes that are responsible for making the dark mice dark and the light mice light. From studies of pigmentation genes in humans and lab mice, the genes that are most likely to be responsible for these changes in coat color are the genes which make the two proteins melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) and agouti.
“Stop it!” called Tatiana, playfully. Her boyfriend, Zach, was inspecting her skin very carefully. “Look,” he answered her, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Today a woman walked into the clinic for her annual physical. Everything about her seemed fine. She leads a balanced lifestyle, she eats well, she exercises: she’s healthy! But as she was about to leave, I noticed a mole on her arm. It had many of the warning signs of skin cancer. So, I removed the mole. This woman now has to wait for the lab results to see if it was cancerous. If it is, maybe we
Classical, Hypermobility, Vascular and Arthrochalasia forms of EDS are transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. Kyphoscoliosis and Dermatosparaxis type of EDS are transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. Classical EDS results from a faulty collagen V genes. A decrease in collagen synthesis generally results in defective tissue mechanical properties and is mainly characterized by skin hyper extensibility (Bancelin, 2015). The Vascular Type of EDS is caused by structural defects in the proa1 (III) chain of collagen type III. Kyphoscoliosis Type EDS is the result of a deficiency of a collagen-modifying enzyme (lysylhydroxylase). The Arthrochalasia Type of EDS results from a mutation which leads to the deficient processing of the amino-terminal end of proa1(I) [type A] or proa2(I)[type B] chains of collagen type I. Dermatosparaxis Type EDS is caused by a deficiency of procollagen I N-terminal peptidase (ENDF,
Testosterone is released from the leydig cells and circulates the body. Like estrogen, testosterone can enter the target cell, bypassing the cell membrane and is transported to the nucleus by a carrier protein. Testosterone is also a transcription factor in which testosterone binds to genes and influences the function. Depending on the type of cell, testosterone can be converted into another form before reaching the nucleus. Only about seven percent of circulating testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and less than one percent is converted to estrogen. Testosterone first takes effect in the womb, allowing male reproductive organs to differentiate from female organs. The presence or absence of testosterone determines whether a baby will be male or female. At the onset of maturity, testosterone also signals other cells in the testes to begin production of sperm. Secondary sex characteristics include hair distribution on the face and body, the deepening of the voice as testosterone causes a growth in the larynx, induced male pattern fat distribution, bone growth, increase in sex drive and behavior. The hypothalamus regulates the amount of testosterone circulating the body by releasing follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (Nieschlag, Behre, and Nieschlag, 2012). Testosterone utilizes a negative feedback loop by acting upon the hypothalamus to inhibit GnRH release and on the pituitary
The objective of the project is to determine if I carry the allele at the TAS2R38 locus. In order to find that out, DNA was extracted from cells within the mouth. The DNA sample was quantified, amplified by PCR, ran through gel electrophoresis, purified and sequenced. The results for my DNA was not able to be determined through sequencing. The DNA samples of the class recorded that 62% of the participants were tasters (carries the allele at the TAS2R38 locus) and 38% of the participants were non-tasters (does not carry the allele at the TAS2R38 locus).
Human pigmentation is influenced by hemoglobins within blood vessels in the skin, carotene and melanins. Melanin, the basis of pigmentation, can be found in the forms of eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Eumelanin is the brown-black pigment located in the skin, hair, and eyes. Phaeomelanin is a yellow to reddish-brown pigment found in small quantities within the skin, eyes, and red hair. Because of these two pigments, to a greater or lesser degree, we have the variation
Although very informative, I nearly lost interest in the subject as it was a bit dry, however, with the incorporation of pictures, I was able to grasp the science of how this structure functions and the significance of melanin, “the most important substance imparting color to skin” (9). Melanin is formed in cells called melanocytes, located between the dermis and epidermis; these cells produce different amounts of melanin and this is the main reason why people have different skin colors (11,14). The author breaks down the scientific terms in a clear and coherent
Little information existed regarding termination of the pathway however and to address this deficiency, I used both biochemical and electrophysiological techniques in a body of work that culminated in my doctoral thesis. By introducing a series of mutations into C-terminal tail of melanopsin, I was able to
The polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) is a molecular technique for the amplifyication of a single or a few copies of DNA strands across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to even millions of copies of a particular DNA strand with the specific primers and a thermo-resistant polymerase enzyme. This powerful technique is being applied in medicine, eg, detection of gene mutation in cancers and tailoring of therapies; infectious diseases,eg detection of pathogens and infections; agriculture, analysis of cultuvars; and forensics, eg identification of criminal from sperm during rape cases.