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It will also help us develop new content for you. To read a set of chromosomes, scientists look for key features to identify their similarities and differences. Try your hand at organizing a profile of human chromosomes. Certain genetic disorders can be diagnosed by looking at a person’s chromosomes. Are Telomeres The Key To Aging And Cancer?

Protective tips at the end of our chromosomes get shorter as we age. The terms dominant and recessive describe the inheritance patterns of certain traits. But what do they really mean? Compare the two ways for organisms to pass genetic information to their offspring. DNA analysis can help build the family tree. Find out about autosomal, x chromosome, y chromosome, and mitochondrial DNA. Explore the types of proteins and learn about their varied functions.

See how cells “read” the information in a DNA sequence to build a protein—in a bit more detail. Walk through protein synthesis with this animated example. Mad Cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob are examples of prion diseases. What makes them unusual, and why are they controversial? RNA’s chemical structure gives it the flexibility to take on a variety of shapes and functions.

Learn about some of the less-known roles of RNA. Explore traits, the characteristics that make us unique. Get to know the molecule that holds the instructions for building every living thing. Learn about proteins, the molecules we’re made of. Learn how traits pass from parents to offspring. Take a look at how variation occurs.

Take a look at several inherited human characteristics and learn more about them. Do these fun activities about inherited traits and disease risk with your family or at public gatherings. Find out how the DNA code letters A, C, G, and T make a DNA molecule by building one yourself. Introns, exons, and regulatory sequences: Examine the parts of a gene from “start” to “stop. Put an end to these common misconceptions about DNA and Heredity. See how cells interpret DNA sentences. An accidental discovery leads to important clues about human evolution.