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Biology

Alien Encounters!

In the year 2050, an incredible archaeological discovery was made in the middle of a
remote area of South America. It was an area where a large meteor had struck the
Earth. A pile of alien bones was found completely mixed up​ ​together. The explorers
who made the discovery immediately informed the organization known as Scientific
Phenomena Over Our Fabulous Sphere (S. P. O. O. F. S). S. P. O. O. F. S. sent out its
best scientists to collect DNA samples. (Yes, these aliens really did have DNA!) The
scientists were able to recover small fragments of DNA which they brought back to
their labs. After much work, they determined that the DNA fragments represented 9
genes.

Purpose
In this activity, you will determine the traits of these unfortunate recovered aliens by
analyzing their DNA and determining the amino acid sequences of the resulting small
protein fragments. Each fragment is associated with a particular gene and a specific
alien characteristic (trait).

Procedure
1. Choose the Alien Species that you would like to decode from the list starting on
pg. 3 (You have 20 to choose from, so don’t just pick #1 because it’s first!).
Write the Alien Species # at the top of your data sheet.
2. Put the DNA sequence for each gene in the proper location on your data sheet.
3. Transcribe the DNA for each gene into mRNA. Record these sequences on the
mRNA section on your data sheet.
4. Translate the mRNA into amino acids using the ​mRNA Codon Chart​. Record
the amino acid sequence on your data sheet for each gene.
5. Use the “Alien Genes” chart on pg. 2 to determine the traits that are associated
with each of your amino acids sequences and write those traits on your data
sheet.
6. Sketch a picture of your alien at the bottom of your data sheet. Your picture
should include all of the traits that you decoded from the DNA.
7. Answer the analysis questions at the end of the data sheet.

AMINO ACID SEQUENCES FOR THE VARIOUS ALIEN GENE AND


TRAITS ARE LOCATED ON THE NEXT PAGE!!!!

 
ALIEN GENES

This table shows the amino acid sequences for the various alien genes and traits.

Gene Amino Acid Resulting


Letter  Sequence  Characteristic 
A  Val-pro-ileu  Hairless 
  Tryp-pro-ileu  Hairy 
B  Tryp-val-val  fat 
  Ileu-ileu-ser  skinny 
C  Ser-ala  4 legs 
  Ser-ser  8 legs 
D  Pro-ser-phe-gly  Long nose 
  Gln-ser-phe-gly  Short nose 
E  Lys-phe  No antennae 
  Lys-leu  4 antennae 
F  Pro-ala-ala  Blue skin 
  Pro-ala-asp  Red skin 
  Pro-ala-val  Yellow skin 
  Pro-ala-pro  Green skin 
G  Glut-glut-asp  10 fingers ​(per hand) 
  Glut-glut-lys  12 fingers (​ per hand) 
H  Gly-gly-ileu  Tail 
  ala-gly-ileu  No tail 
I  Ileu-asp-ala  4 eyes 
  Ser-asp-ala  8 eyes 

 
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #1

GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCGA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #2

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCGGG

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #3

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCTA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #4

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCAA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #5

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCGA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #6

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCGGG

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #7

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCTA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #8

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCAA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #9

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCGA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #10

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCGGG

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #11

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCTA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #12

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCAA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #13

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCTA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #14

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCGGG

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #15

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCGA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #16

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCGA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #17

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCGGG

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #18

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: ACCCAACAA

GENE C: AGCCGA

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCTA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CCCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC
Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #19

 
GENE A: CAAGGATAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GTCAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAC

GENE F: GGACGCCAA

GENE G: GTCGTCTTT

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: AGCCTACGC

Recovered Sequences = Alien Species #20

GENE A: ACCGGTTAT

GENE B: TATTATAGC

GENE C: AGCAGG

GENE D: GGTAGGAAACCC

GENE E: TTTAAA

GENE F: GGACGCCAA

GENE G: GTCGTCCTA

GENE H: CGCCCCTAT

GENE I: TATCTACGC

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