Midwood High School Biology

Biology of DNA

Advanced students will learn the ideads and the science which lead to the revolution ofmolecular biology and biotechnology. They will learn the concepts behind, and perform thebasic techniques of recombinant DNA technology (e.g. isolating, cloning, manipulating, andanalyzing DNA sequences). Recent medical breakthroughs (e.g. the isolation of the genes which cause cancer, cystic fibrosis, Duchene's muscular dystrophy) will be reviewed in the scientific literature, and current applications (e.g. transgenic animals, gene therapy, oncology, immunology and developmental biology) will be covered in the Science Times and other sources (student oral reports).

The content of the course will easily lend itself to instructional strategies such as hands-onexperience (labs), cooperative learning, brainstorming, independent oral and written reports,and the review of scientific literature. In addition, the course offers many valuable opportunities to infuse interdisciplinary material and multi-cultural views (politics, law, business, economics, ethics, social studies, math, and of course, chemistry and medicine).Students will develop valuable skills such as critical thinking, as they learn how to readand interpret a scientific paper, and how to prepare for a debate on the bioethical issues surrounding biotechnology. Other skills will include brainstorming applications of recombinant DNA, designing experiments, and writing grant proposals.

Prepared By: Mitchel Kalmus


Research Biology	Environmental Science	Medical Issues	Psychobiology	Biology Research	AP Psychology	AP Biology

Back to Biological Science

Midwood High School at Brooklyn College
Created by Adam Burstein