BNFO 300 
Molecular Biology Through Discovery
Questionnaire on notes: Strategies of Life 2
(please press SUBMIT button when finished)
Please submit your responses no later than 6:00 AM the day of class
Spring 2017  


I. Basic Information

A. Your name 
II. Old Business (no need to repeat anything you've said in a previous questionnaire if nothing's changed)
  1. Practice in distinguishing Results vs conclusions
    Consider the following:

    1. The distinction between:

    • What is true -- an immutable observation
    • What is merely plausible (perhaps less so tomorrow than today) -- an interpretation.

    2. Finding actual observations within a research article, recognizing that most statements in a Results section are assertions, not observations.

    Where are you in these matters?
         

  2. Comparing articles on Vitamin D (Approach to research articles)
    1. Have you found the research article that serves as the basis of the newspaper article assigned to you for Thursday?
    2. Can you make sufficient sense of the article to answer your question?
    3. Have you met with your group (possibly at a distance) and produced a summary slide?
         
  3. The notes on Self Assembly
    Consider how comfortable you are with the following topics:
    • How the interaction between water molecules determines the interaction between (hydrophobic) plastic beads
    • How the interaction between water molecules determines the interaction between (hydrophilic) glass beads
    • How these properties can determine the shapes of complex structures, e.g. membranes and proteins

    Do you have any concerns about these matters?>

     
  4. Exam I
    Do you have any concerns about the exam?>
III. Strategies of Life
  1. How far have you gotten in the notes Strategies of Life? 
    (You can answer by referring to the last section you read or study question you addressed.)
     
  2. Consider how comfortable you are with the following topics (as defined by the notes Strategies of Life):
    • How information passes from DNA through RNA to protein
    • The mechanism by which genes might determine the function of an organism
    • How amphipathic lipids can self-assemble into the sphere shown in Fig. 2B
    • The relationship between monomers and the four major types of biological polymers
    • How in general enzymes might determine the nature of a cell
    • Study Questions 1 through 8

    With this in mind, how could class time best be spent to meet your needs?
    Do you have any other questions concerning the material in the notes?

IV. What is a Gene? (no need to repeat anything you've said in a previous questionnaire if nothing's changed -- but I hope things have)
A. How far have you gotten in the tutorial What is a Gene and its companion?
    You can answer by referring to the last item you addressed (e.g. III.3). 

B. Provide a statement that describes as accurately and completely as possible your current understanding regarding how a cell determines where a gene begins.
     

Consider how comfortable you are with the following topics (as defined by the tour What is a Gene?):

C. The relationship between a gene and a genome

D. The coordinate system

With this in mind, how could class time best be spent to meet your needs?
     

VII. Miscellaneous

Any other comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns you may have?

Thanks!

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