Monthly Archives: January 2015

Wk 3 Informal post

Q1. Limb development is caused by a number of integrated processes that form the patterns that tell which type of cell to grow in specific locations. Limb malformations caused by defects in limb development has been studied for a long time, even before DNA techniques were invented, because malformations are relatively easy to see and describe. Subjects/patients in studies of limb malformations are likely found through doctors offices and connections with medical professionals and the scientists that study these disorders. Information regarding the genetic regulation of limb development, or how cells are told what to do, is of interest to many people, including medical professionals, scientists, and people who are affected by limb defects.

Q2. It is difficult to answer the question “what big processes are involved in the development of the human limb?” because of the complexity of this process as well as the ethical constraints of human research. Mice models are often used to decrease the later. The complexity of the system that allows limb development is a challenge for sure, but with carefully constructed studies using animal models it is possible to understand this process.

Wk 2 Learning Journal # 1

1 Reply

Factual knowledge

Please describe, briefly, one new piece of factual knowledge that you acquired or developed so far in the course.

One piece of factual knowledge that I have learned so far in the course is the terminology for the four basic models of enhancer and gene interaction. These models are looping, tracking, facilitated tracking, and linking.

Please describe how you know that you have acquired or developed this piece of factual knowledge, and provide some evidence for it.

Previously I had only heard about (or remember hearing about) the looping model for enhancer/gene interaction. I now understand the tracking is when the proteins travel along the DNA strand to the gene without staying connected to the enhancer, facilitated tracking is the same as tracking except the proteins stay bound to the enhancer sequence and a loop is formed, and linking is when there are changes to the chromatin between the enhancer and the gene.

Conceptual knowledge

Please describe, briefly, one new piece of conceptual knowledge that you acquired or developed so far in the course.

Some conceptual knowledge that I have developed so far in the course is the idea that enhancers and silencers are essentially the same thing. These regulatory elements are classified by the affect they have on transcription levels, but the affect is determined by what protein bind to the sequence. If the protein that bind repress transcription, then the sequence is known as a silencer, and if the protein that binds increase transcription, then the sequence is known as an enhancer.

Please describe how you know that you have acquired or developed this piece of conceptual knowledge, and provide some evidence for it.

Previously I believed that enhancers and silencers were classified by the sequences that they have that allow transcription factor binding. I knew that the same transcription factor could repress or enhance a gene depending on cell type/gene/other factors, but I did not connect these to ideas until now.

Skills

Please describe, briefly, one skill that you acquired or developed/are developing so far in the course.

Intentionally left blank

Please describe how you know that you have acquired or developed this skill, and provide some evidence for it.

Intentionally left blank

If I were a developmental biologist…?