Technology's effect Nature

Today's technology allows for scientists to sequence a child's DNA before he/she is even born. This knowledge allows the scientists to find any mutations that exist in the unborn child’s DNA. The existence of these mutations can give parents a look into how “normal” their child will be. However, scientists are unaware of how all these mutations will effect the child since the outcome of all the different mutations are unknown. This information can cause the termination of a pregnancy. How does this process affect nature and what are the positive and negative effects of it? In your explanation use Carroll’s ideas about natural selection and immortal genes.

Sexual Selection and Ultraviolet Light

In many cases, the forces of evolution have been shaped by sexual selection. In the book, Carroll mentions that "many birds have tuned an opsin to detect ultraviolet light" (110). What mutation(s) occur in birds for the birds to see in the ultraviolet range? How does this ability to detect ultraviolet light connect to how the females select mates? How would the different characteristics (relating to ultraviolet light) of the male be a measure of his fitness? One could relate this phenomenon to the courtship behavior we have learned about in the ecology unit (Campbell 1141). Please examine how sexual selection pertains to the themes of evolution or heritable information. 

Fossil Genes

On page 118, Carroll starts talking about a unique fish, Latimeria chalumnae, that was found many years ago but was preserved for the years to come. This fish has been labeled as a "living fossil" because the chances of finding and studying another one like it is very slim. Carroll compares this "living fossil" to the idea of "fossil genes". Why are fossil genes so important and how can they help us understand the behaviors and lifestyles of the species that are present in our world today?

Genealogic Trees

Explain the various genealogic trees that have been made, focusing on the more recent trees that have been approved by the scientific community. In doing so, explain the major differences between the trees and note the scientific reasoning behind the changes. Is there one tree that is more accurate than another? Why or why not? Why bother spending times on creating genealogic trees, especially when it will most likely be made obsolete in a few years? And of course, as this is AP Bio, use scientific terms and reasoning in your responses.

Cancer and Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, predicted to become the number one cause of death in the year 2010. Certain types of cancers are always associated with specific gene mutations, such as the chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). According to Carroll, CML is caused by the fusion of genes that "[disrupt] the normal control of a potent regulatory protein called the ABL kinase" (183). The ABL kinase signals the induction of apoptosis. How would the disruption of the ABL kinase promote cancer? How does the disruption relate to the cellular checkpoints that regulate the cell cycle? Please relate your response to the theme of regulation. 

The drug Gleevec targets the ABL kinase in the CML tumors. How do the CML cells become resistant to Gleevec? Also, how does the change in the ABL protein relate to the concept of the substrate-enzyme model? Please relate the response to the theme of structure vs. function. What methods should be pursued to avoid and/or treat resistant CML cells?

On the subject of ABL kinase, this online journal suggests that the kinase induces apoptosis: 

http://www.pnas.org/content/94/4/1437.full

Junk DNA

In chapter three, Sean Carroll discusses the structure and layout of DNA, noting the sequences known as introns, or non-coding segments. He refers to these sequences as "junk" DNA, saying that this DNA is merely an accumulation of informationless sequences; as such, he chooses mostly to ignore introns. However, many would protest such an abjection. Having thouroughly studied the mechanisms of DNA in Campbell chapter 17, do you agree with Carroll's assertation? Or, as some scientists now feel, do you believe there is a purpose to these seemingly useless sequences? Explain your opinion.

Archaea vs. Bacteria

Tom Brock found what he thought to be another kind of bacteria living in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. However, further analysis revealed that these oragnisms were actually as different from bacteria as eukaryotes. We now call these organisms Archaea. Using your understanding of the diversity of life, compare and contrast the two traits of bacteria and archaea (preferably one compare, one contrast), how these are selective advantages, and how these difference might have arisen.