What was this project about? For the protein to disease project, we had to choose a genetic disease or disorder. Each one of these diseases has its own protein which mutates incorrectly, causing the disease. The disease we chose was Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. ALS is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The victim slowly loses the ability to move, speak, eat, and eventually breathe. The lifespan of someone who is diagnosed with ALS is usually no longer than 7 years after being diagnosed. The protein affected by this terrible disease is called SOD1, a protein that works among the spinal cord and helps with motor function.
Our Finished Posters:
Concepts Protein Synthesis: -Transcription: In the nucleus, mRNA is made. It leaves the nucleus to attach to a ribosome. -Translation: On the ribosome, transfer RNA (tRNA) comes to the ribosome. It brings an amino acid, which becomes a protein. This protein folds and then it begins to function Protein Folding: The reason a protein folds is to be able to perform it's biological function. It consists of four stages,or structures; the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. In the cytoplasm, the primary structure is the sequence of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. It then moves to the rough ER. The Secondary structure is when the protein begins to fold up. It can have 2 types of structure. One is the alpha helix, a coil shape held by hydrogen bonds. The other structure type is the beta sheet. It is a S shape pattern, with hydrogen bonds holding the structure together. The hydrogen bonds are between NH and CO groups on the peptides. The tertiary structure is the protein folded into it's precise 3D shape, which relates to it's function. This structure takes place in the golgi body and the ER. The quarternary structure is when single peptides bond to other peptides. Codon- A sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of code in a DNA or RNA molecule. Anticodon- A sequence of three nucleotides forming a unit of code in a tRNA molecule, corresponding to a codon in a mRNA molecule. Polymerase- An enzyme that brings about the formation of DNA. Polypeptide Chain- Chains built up of amino acids Protein- One of the four macromolecules, consisting of amino acid chains.
Reflection One thing I did well on during this project was finishing my work. When we divided the work and it was time to work, I got everything I had to do done very quickly. For example, drawing the ALS motor neuron and outlining the information in pen. Another thing I did well on was researching for information. Our group managed to find all the information on the disease within 2 periods. One thing I didn't do so well on was staying on task. Although I did my work very quickly, there were times in between work time where I could have been doing something productive. Another thing I didn't do well on but could improve is presenting. Sometimes I present smoothly, but for this project I felt I needed more time to prepare so my words were smoother sounding.