Genetics 101

1. Genetics 101 + = ? ~a genetics tutorial~ _______________________ basic genetics for the non-genetecist via gerbils for the non-rodent enthusiast mr. e ~ SRCS ~ fall 2005

2. Genetics 101 Contributions and dedications Eric Proffit fall 2002-4 David Schulker spring 2003-4 Stephen Potter fall 2002-2005 Chad Peets spring 2003-6 Christopher Oliver winter 2004-6 John Magill winter 2004-5 Ben Bennett winter 2004-5

3. Genetics 101 macro What happens when you combine peas and the church?

4. Genetics 101 + = Peas the Church Who: Father Johann Gregor Mendel Where: a monastery in Austria What: Developed hereditary theories When: 1850’- 1860’s (just before US civil war) Father of Modern Genetics

5. Genetics 101 • Macro-history • His early adult life was spent in relative obscurity doing basic genetics research and teaching high school mathematics, physics, and Greek in Brunn (now in the Czech Republic). • In his later years, he became the abbot of his monastery and put aside his scientific work. • His ideas had been published in 1866 but largely went unrecognized until 1900, which was long after his death. Gregor Mendel 1822-1884

6. Genetics 101 • Macro-history Mendel's research reflected his personality. Once he crossed peas and mice of different varieties (separately, that is) "for the fun of the thing," and the phenomena of dominance and segregation "forced themselves upon notice." + • He saw that the traits were inherited incertain numerical ratios. He then came up with the idea to set out to test it more vigorously using the common pea (Pisum sativum). ?

7. Genetics 101 •Mendel studied seven basic characteristics of peas: By tracing these characteristics, Mendel discovered three basic principles which governed the passage of a trait from one member of a species to another member of the same species. 1. flower color 4. seed shape 2. flower position 5. seed color 3. stem length 6. pod shape 7. pod color

8. Genetics 101 • Mendel’s conclusions 1. that the inheritance of each trait is determined by "units" or "factors" that are passed on to descendents unchanged (these units are now called genes ) 2. that an individual inherits one such unit from each parent for each trait 3. that a trait may not show up in an individual but can still be passed on to the next generation.

9. Genetics 101 So what exactly is new about all this? Significant? Doesn’t seem so…

10. Genetics 101 Where would we be without… I’m Samson. I stand 3.7 m (12 feet) tall on my hind legs and weigh 500 kg (1,100 lbs) and can run at 80 km/hr (50 mph)! Theliger: lion X tigress

11. Genetics 101 . Speciation: Is it immoral to hybridize animals? Ethical dilemma or freak show curiosity? Pros vs.Cons Should the advantages & disadvantages even be taken into consideration? Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering and Transgenics By Linda MacDonald Glenn

12. Genetics 101 the Cama… I have the cloven hooves of a llama and the short ears and tail of a camel! & I can spit too! …scientists hope to combine the best qualities of both into the one animal — the superior fleece and calmer temperament of the llama with the larger size of the camel.

13. Genetics 101 The Zonkey… (zedonk or zebrass) Zebras, donkeys, and horses are all members of the family equus - Equines.  They are all slightly different in genetic makeup, but still all equines.  Equines can be crossbred to produce hybrids.  That is, horses have 64 chromosomes, donkeys have 62.  The cross between a Donkey Jack (Stallion) and a mare Horse is called a Mule.  The opposite cross is a Hinny.  (Mules and hinnies can be male or female, either one, but are sterile since their chromosome count is 63). The Zorse…

14. Genetics 101 the Wholphin… I’m Kekaimalu, the world’s first and only wholphin. My smaller mom, a bottlenose dolphin, swims with me (below left) while my dad, a false killer whale is bigger & has more teeth! I’m their average!

15. Genetics 101 . Aquatic bovines… What’s Next?? Mumu? Mt. Dew- making flies?

16. Genetics 101 Seriously… better yielding crops

17. Genetics 101 Crops with desirable features… Defense… (Against predators)

18. Genetics 101 Color…

19. Genetics 101 Disease resistance… Corn smut… Wheat rust…

20. Genetics 101 And even livestock performance and yield!

21. Genetics 101 Dodo Tilacino One could resurrect a lost species such as these… Trilobite Great Auk

22. Genetics 101 Or these ?

23. Genetics 101 …or things Mendel never imagined…

24. Genetics 101 …not to mention the medical applications and a slew of other ethical facets to debate… GM Produce

25. Genetics 101 Hollywood hype ….or potential reality? Film: GATTACA (1997) Plot: Gattaca Corp. is an aerospace firm in the future. During this time society analyzes your DNA and determines where you belong in life. Ethan Hawke's character was born with a congenital heart condition which would cast him out of getting a chance to travel in space. So in turn he assumes the identity of an athlete who has genes that would allow him to achieve his dream of space travel. [first title card] Title Card: "Consider God's handiwork; who can straighten what He hath made crooked?" - Ecclesiastes 7:13 [second title card] Title Card: "I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature, I think Mother wants us to." - Willard Gaylin Vincent: They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don't say that anymore. Vincent: I'll never understand what possessed my mother to put her faith in God's hands, rather than her local geneticist. [Vincent is looking at the 12-fingered pianist] Irene: You didn't know? Vincent: Oh, I knew. Irene: It's amazing, isn't it? Vincent: Twelve fingers or one, it's how you play Irene: That piece can only be played with twelve. Taglines for Gattaca (1997) There Is No Gene For The Human Spirit. How do you hide when you're running from yourself? Only one criterion : genetic perfection Only the strong succeed D: Andrew Niccol; with Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, Jude Law, Loren Dean, Gore Vidal, Ernest Borgnine, Blair Underwood, Tony Shalhoub. (PG-13, 108 min.)

26. Genetics 101 Alba & his proud owner, Eduardo Kac; transgenic artist

27. Genetics 101 Alba, the fluorescent bunny. Photo: Chrystelle Fontaine Glow -in-the-dark Bunnies!

28. Genetics 101 Book… Art exhibition in Rio…

29. Genetics 101 Could I be genetically modified to roar?

30. Genetics 101 Did you know? Betsy Ross is the first real person to ever have been the head on a Pez dispenser! The actor who played Wedge in the original Star Wars trilogy has a famous nephew: actor Ewan McGregor, who plays the young Obi-Wan in the new Star Wars film. Scientists at a University in Ontario, Canada have discovered that the part of Einstein's brain thought to be related to mathematical reasoning - the inferior parietal region - was 15 percent wider on both sides than a normal brain. It’s time to get back to Mendel!

31. Genetics 101 • Through selective cross-breeding over many generations, Mendel discovered that certain traits show up in offspring without any blending of parent characteristics. • For instance, the pea flowers are eitherpurple or white--intermediate colors do not appear in the offspring of cross-pollinated pea plants. • This was revolutionary because the reigning biological theory of the day suggested a blending, that is, taking our previous example, a purple flower crossed with a white flower would produce say a lavender or some such color between the parental colors….and yet we find that this IS NOT SO!.

32. Genetics 101 • Lesson 1: Chromosomes & Genes • This is a chromosome MA PA Hi, I’m a Chromosome! KID As well as genetic variety! A gerbil gets half its chromosomes from its mom and the other half from its dad…this ensures pairs of chromosomes

33. Genetics 101 Why do we needchromosomes ? Chromosomes hold genes.(units of inheritance usually occurring at specific locations; Physically, a gene is a sequence of DNA bases that specify the order of amino acids in an entire protein or, in some cases, a portion of a protein) There are different versions of genes, called alleles, that chromosomes carry. Some alleles are DOMINANT (overriding gene) while others are recessive (masked gene in presence of dominant). Gene here!

34. Genetics 101 Here is the mathematical matrix behind the results... Consider Mendel’s seeds as an alternate way of looking at it… Smooth S S Wrinkled Ss Ss Ss Ss s s Every single “child” must be…?

35. Genetics 101 • While Mendel's research was with plants, the basic underlying principles of heredity that he discovered also apply to gerbils because the mechanisms of heredity are essentially the same for both... It also applies to cats… and any DNA-dependent life-form!

36. What's in the name ? "Meriones" "unguiculatus" means Latin for "with claws " means Greek for "warrior" "rodere" (rodent) means "to gnaw " Genetics 101 What, exactly is a gerbil? Taxonomy Order: Rodentia Suborder: Myomorpha Family: Cricetidae Sub-Family: Gerbillinae Genus: Meriones Species: unguiculatus Meriones unguiculatus I’m an SRCS natural! So, taxanomically, I’m a gnawing, clawed warrior!!

37. Genetics 101 Origin and Habitat Mongolian gerbils (desert rat, sand rat, antelope rat, jird) are native to eastern Mongolia, northeast China, and western Manchuria. They live in a variety of terrains, including deserts, bush country arid steppes, low plains, grasslands, and mountain valleys. In 1954, eleven pairs were brought to the United States from a research laboratory in Japan. The offspring of these gerbils were the nucleus for most research colonies in the United States today.

38. Genetics 101 I’m a 4-toed jerboa I’m a bushy-tailed jird, a gerbil’s closest relative!

39. Genetics 101 Behavior & Diet Gerbils are gregarious!

40. Genetics 101 diurnal/nocturnal… (active during both day and night) sand-bathing gnawing calisthenics

41. Genetics 101 scratching & digging and industrious—building extensive burrows, often with several entrances. "March, 5th, 1989: After several months, I now feel that these strange little rodents have finally accepted me as one of their own."

42. Genetics 101 Some unusual behaviors… licking Food envy "Whenever any of our gerbils finds a particularly tasty bit of food, it will run into a corner and make a sudden, sharp right turn ...to keep food away from the others. However, the comical thing about this is that the gerbil usually ends up right next to another gerbil, who tries to steal the food away from him. This behavior also occurs when there are no other gerbils around." Gail Seigel • Thumping • Nasal greeting • Aggression • PEW sway Pupretrieval winking

43. Genetics 101 PEW sway All PEW’s exhibit a swaying motion which is triggered by assuming a normal stance and evidence by an unconscious drift… standing return to drift again drifting

44. Genetics 101 PEW sway It looks a lot like this:

45. Genetics 101 moulting A grown-up, faded-out Schimmel (the tail keeps its orange), and a young Schimmel (looks like a DEH).

46. Genetics 101 juvenile Stages of the nutmeg molt adult

47. Genetics 101 Some adorable pre-molt young Polar Fox (F) Spotted Silver Nutmeg (M)Silver Nutmeg (M)Spotted Agouti (M)Honey Cream (M)Ruby Eyed White (M) Spotted Black (M)Spotted Gray Agouti (F) Molting

48. Genetics 101 Their diet consists of seeds, leaves, stems, and roots; to some extent, food is stored in burrows (easily observed through their habit of covering their food dishes or stashing their seeds). Juveniles feeding

49. Genetics 101 Farming … EVERY gerbil’s dream…

50. Genetics 101 As researchanimals, gerbils comprise less than 0.5% of the total number of rodents used annually. As pets, gerbils are popular because they are curious, clean, and easy to maintain and handle. Uses Douglas Adams was dangerously close to the mark!