Unit 06 · Gene Expression & Regulation
The big ideas here are how the genome becomes a working cell: DNA replication copying the code, transcription and translation turning genes into proteins, the regulation that decides which genes are on, how mutations change outcomes, and the biotechnology — and ethics — built on this knowledge. Mastery means tracing a gene from DNA to protein and predicting how a change ripples through.
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replication | Cannot describe how DNA copies. | Knows DNA copies; vague on semiconservative detail. | Explains semiconservative replication and the strands made. |
| Transcription & translation | Confuses the two processes. | Names both but misuses codons or location. | Translates a sequence and states where each step occurs. |
| Gene regulation | Assumes all genes are always on. | Knows genes turn on and off; mechanism unclear. | Explains how regulation controls which proteins are made. |
| Mutations & effects | Cannot connect mutation to outcome. | Names mutation types but not their consequences. | Predicts how a mutation alters the protein and phenotype. |
| Biotechnology / ethics reasoning | Unfamiliar with the tools or stakes. | Describes a technique without weighing implications. | Explains a biotech method and reasons about its ethics. |
| Integration (cross-domain) | Treats the science as isolated facts; makes no cross-domain connection. | Names a link to history, reading, or writing but cannot defend why it matters. | Connects the unit to its anchor across History · Reading · Writing (plus chosen electives) and defends why the connection matters. |
“Transcription copies the gene into mRNA, then the ribosome reads it three bases at a time and builds the protein. A regulatory protein can switch a gene off — that’s why a skin cell and a nerve cell share the same DNA but do completely different jobs.”
“DNA makes RNA makes protein. Genes turn on and off somehow. The ribosome does something in there.”
You demonstrate this unit by working transcription–translation and mutation problems live, plus oral checks where you reason about regulation and biotech ethics. A criterion is mastered when you can trace the pathway on a fresh sequence and explain the consequences.
A 5-page clipboard packet — unit overview, key terms, the mastery rubric, anchor examples, and a score sheet you can print and grade against.