We are almost done with the Summer Assignment. This week, I want to highlight another potential resource for excellent science information. I am sure you already knew there was great science writing on the internet, and probably were aware of some great science communicators on YouTube.
There are also some great podcasts out there that break some important science topics down into simple, easily understood terms. One of my favorites, which was actually suggested by a student last year, is Short Wave from NPR. Here is an episode about DNA; it's discovery and how it is packaged into our cells. We will go over all of what they talk about in class this year.
32 comments:
This podcast, “The Secret History of DNA”, really shocked me, since I didn’t think that I would learn a lot because of how much Honors Biology taught me regarding DNA and its properties. I enjoyed this podcast especially when they talked about how important histones were. Furthermore, I knew the main function of histones but never knew that they could change how tight or loose the DNA was. In addition, I also didn’t know that they could control what part of the DNA could be read which is mind-blowing. Using these histones, humans are created from a one-cell embryo to a being that has a heart, lungs, limbs, a brain, and the ability to reproduce. This podcast made me realize how important histones are to the human body and without them, life wouldn’t be possible.
The podcast, "The Secret History of DNA" was very shocking. I learned that DNA takes the form of a double helix. However, I didn't know that DNA usually doesn't appear in the helix form. It's so strange because all of the models of DNA in cells that I've seen are technically inaccurate. Also, I was surprised to find that histones play such a critical role in DNA. They have so much control over our bodies. Without them, the body wouldn't be able to function. In addition, I was very grossed out to find that puss and fish sperm were used in experiments back then. I guess those were the only subjects available to them for study at the time. Overall, this podcast was very informative and eye-opening.
I definitely enjoyed listening to this podcast episode especially because of the fun and curious energy the hosts interact with. Because they seem to be enjoying their conversation, it helps us as listeners be more engaged with the audio. It was also great that they condensed such a huge topic of DNA into a more understandable concept while also using buzz words like double helix shape, keratin, and cell nucleus, and histones. And this episode served as a great reminder of the actual way DNA works especially with the explanation of the necessity of histone proteins and the positive and negative charge of the DNA and histones that allow for tight packaging. I also enjoyed how this podcast cleared up certain misconceptions that I had about DNA.
In the podcast, “The Secret History of DNA” the speakers clearly identify basic information about DNA in simple terms. I like how this podcast was easy to understand. I also liked the segment in the beginning when they mentioned Fredrich Miescher. They start off explaining how nuclein was discovered and how little was known about the mysterious molecule at the time. Then they go on to talk about how Friedrich Miescher drew the conclusion that this mysterious molecule had to do with fertilization and inheritance. I did not know this piece of scientific history so I was happy that the podcast included it. I also like how the podcast discussed histones and how DNA is organized and packaged. I did not know prior to this podcast that histones are responsible for revealing DNA that needs to be accessed but is packaged compactly.
Despite the podcast being only 10 min long it was very informative and helped me learn a new thing about DNA and Histones that I previously had no knowledge of before. What it really reminds me of is the fact of how useful technology is when it comes to learning. That podcasts such as this one bring about the idea that there are more peculiar and interesting things to learn about within each subject, not just Biology. I love history as well, so in addition to enjoying learning about U.S. history as well as the Renaissance I love watching youtube videos about unknown and more funny events in history that ended up bringing about change. For instance as I previously discussed I learned about the Dancing Plague from a youtube channel that does comedic puppet shows to tell its viewers funny moments in history. It really shows how there is always more to each area of study and that podcasts, youtube, and various other platforms provide a means to make learning that much more enjoyable.
I enjoyed listening to the podcast “The Secret History of DNA'' because the hosts made it entertaining to listen to while still making it very informative. I learned many new facts about histone proteins. I remember learning about histone proteins and I like how the host talked about the “beads on a string” analogy because I think that’s a helpful way to think about the structure of the DNA and histones. Additionally, although I was aware that histones were a part of DNA, I did not know how significant they were to cells and the entire human body as a whole. I was surprised to learn that histones control what sections of DNA are read, and this is crucial because certain sections of DNA need to be expressed to create certain proteins for specific cells. Due to histones, we are able to be the complex, multicellular organisms we are.
In the podcast “The Secret History of DNA,” the speakers explained how DNA is packaged in cells through the help of Histones. One thing that caught my attention was that Histones are able to control what parts of the DNA could be read. Aside from the fact that Histones condense the DNA, it explains how certain parts of the DNA could be read when it is not in the double helix ladder format. Since the DNA has a negative charge and the Histones have a positive charge, this makes it easy for the Histones to bind on to the DNA due to them being attracted to each other. Something that I questioned was what would happen if the DNA was somehow damaged in certain steps of the ladder. If there was breakage in the double helix, I wonder how that could affect the reading of the genetic material or cause any deformities.
I liked listening to this podcast because the hosts kept it interesting the whole way through. It is hard to speak about a topic that people may not understand without sounding boring. They had a speaker that was asking questions which helped because they were questions that the listener could relate to. The questions asked seem very simple, but are very good ones as they are critical to how DNA works. For example, I learned about histones and how they are a crucial part of the cell. This podcast allowed me to refresh/ learn about the history of the discovery of DNA. I love learning about biology because it has so much depth and information about our body and other living systems. Its crazy to think about all the processes that happen in our body without us even being aware of it.
The podcast "The Secret History of DNA" was informative and entertaining to listen to. I liked how they organized each part of the podcast into questions. Overall, I learned a lot of new facts, and I got a lot of questions regarding DNA answered. For example, it was interesting to find out how a cell could hold almost 6 feet of DNA. I also learned a lot about the remarkable role that the histone proteins play in our DNA; not only are these proteins packing the DNA in our cells, but they can also control which parts of DNA can be read. This is important because Histones play a vital role in the development of certain types of cells that are important in your body. It is fascinating to see how every process is connected and how each function depends on the other.
The Podcast "The Secret History of DNA" was insightful as I learned a lot about DNA and its structure and function. The excellent part that histone proteins perform in our DNA was fascinating to me. Histones are essential for the growth of several types of significant cells in your body and are what ultimately shape and structure your chromosomes. It was intriguing to learn that a cell could store nearly 6 feet of DNA for any given function. The shape of this 6-foot-long code puts information into all cells of the body, from our heads to our toes.
The podcast, “ The Secret History of DNA” discusses DNA and how it functions. Berly McCoy, Maria Godoy, and Pravrutha Raman emphasize the importance of histone proteins and their role in DNA. I found it cool that humans pretty much have the same histones as yeast, which shows how important these proteins are, especially since evolution has not changed them. Something I liked from the podcast was the beads on the string analogy because it allowed me to picture histones and DNA in my mind, in simple terms. The string (DNA double helix) is wrapped around the beads (histone proteins). In addition, I find it eye opening that if you unravel all the DNA from a single cell, it would be over 6 feet tall. It’s truly amazing how such a long strand of DNA can coil so tightly and be able to fit into a microscopic cell. This complexity, however, is created from just four simple nucleotides, which are rearranged. Lastly, the engaging nature of the podcast made learning about DNA interesting and informative.
The podcast, "The Secret History of DNA" was really interesting since it taught me so much that I didn’t know about DNA. A fact that really shocked me was that DNA’s actual form is not a double helix. I was always taught that DNA is made up of two strand and was in the shape of a double helix; however, I learned that it doesn’t usually look like a double helix. Another thing I found fascinating is the function of histones in DNA. I can recall the histones were just a chain of rotting and didn’t really think they were that important. This podcast helped me realize how important they are since they control the DNA in reading certain fragments of it. Now I understand the advantage of histones having a positive charge since it can be easily attracted to DNA since it is negatively charged. This podcast helped me gain a lot more knowledge about DNA and its functions. I definitely will be listening to more podcasts like these in future since they are really interesting.
I really enjoyed listening to the podcast “The Secret History of DNA”. I learned so much more information on the structure and role of DNA in our bodies. I had no idea that DNA in one cell could be six feet tall. It really shows that the more you look into DNA the more you see how complex it gets. I also did not know the impact histones have on DNA and how cells read them. Histones are so powerful that they control which parts of the DNA can be read. I also thought this podcast was very entertaining and it kept me interested. I am not a big fan of listening to podcasts but this one was very funny and all the information they had talked about was very understandable and engaging.
The podcast "The Secret History of DNA" really cleared up some misunderstanding that I had about the shape and structure of DNA. I already knew that it was a double helix shape, but was confused as to what that shape would actually look like. Most of the models of DNA that I have seen have either been inaccurate or have not highlighted the shape enough. I also learned about the concept of Histones, which pack DNA in cells and control which parts of them can be read.
I found the podcast, “The Secret History of DNA”, very educational and entertaining. I enjoyed how the podcast felt like a conversation between the three women and that one woman was asking questions along the way (which I had too) which moved the conversation along and made me more informed about how DNA is packaged. Furthermore, I found the content itself to be very insightful because the women on the podcast discussed so much information within the span of 10 minutes. First off, I didn’t know how significant histone proteins were to the human body as they help organize DNA by acting as the spool for DNA and their beads and that they are so integral to cells that evolution hasn’t changed them (we have the same histone proteins as yeast). To add on, I also didn’t know how different types of packaging make DNA more or less accessible to our cells. For example, loosely wound DNA is more accessible for cells to read compared to tightly wound DNA. Moreover, I also didn’t know that much about the history of DNA, but the podcast was able to inform me about how Friedrich Miescher utilized pus and fish sperm to discover it which I also didn’t expect.
“The Secret History of DNA” was an enlightening and instructive podcast about how DNA is packaged to fit inside cells. I found the role of histone proteins to be fascinating, and I did not realize how significant they are in DNA organization. It is amazing to see how these ancient proteins are so crucial in creating various types of packaging to make DNA accessible. It is also interesting how these impressive scientific discoveries can be found through unique methods like using fish sperm. It is incredible to see how far science has progressed and how much more we know about DNA today. As the podcast mentioned, it is remarkable that something so simple can turn into something complex. While I enjoyed the podcast, I prefer reading articles as it allows me to process and understand the information without having to rewind. However, I believe that listening to a podcast is a more engaging way to receive information in comparison to reading an article.
As I was listening to the podcast, “The Secret History of DNA,” my knowledge of DNA was refreshed, and I also learned new information. Some things I already knew were that DNA takes a double helix form, and the some parts of the call. I learned about the function and importance of certain proteins of the cell, such as histones. It was fascinating to find out how large the roles of such small parts can really be! This podcast was enjoyable, and I was able to gain so much knowledge although it was so short.
The podcast, "The Secret History of DNA," was interesting because it told me many things that I had forgotten or had never known about DNA. It was interesting that the shape that DNA is known for, the double helix, is not the shape that it always appears in. I assumed that DNA was always in a double helix. It was also interesting to learn about how big a role DNA plays in humans. I hope to learn more about DNA this year.
The podcast “The Secret History of DNA” was enlightening regarding DNA and its role. I had learned about histones in Honors Biology in 9th grade, however I learned more with this podcast, such as how evolution has not changed histone proteins. They are incredibly significant in cell growth and chromosomal structure. I didn’t understand much about the history of DNA, but it was interesting to learn that fish sperm and pus played an important role in it.
I want to start this off by saying that I loved this podcast. Especially since this was a topic I had struggled with during Honors Biology. The speaker makes the information easier to process and she kept it interesting throughout the podcast. I was able to understand the basis behind DNA structures. I didn't even know that histone proteins had such an important role in our bodies. It helps make the DNA accessible and organized. This podcast was a great refresher on the history of DNA before the start of AP Bio. I especially liked how the speakers had a Q&A with each other.
The topic of DNA has always fascinated me and was one of my favorite topics covered in Honors Biology. The podcast did a wonderful job explaining the backstory of DNA with an engaging approach. I find it intriguing that almost every cell has the same DNA but can have completely different purposes based on what part of the DNA it reads. The analogy the podcast describes: a histone is like beads on a string, was a helpful visual in demonstrating that the histone proteins are responsible for determining what the cell can or cannot access. I was not aware of the critical role histone proteins play in the cell nor that they are over one billion years old! The road to identifying DNA was far from smooth, and the use of substances like fish sperm and pus brings a smile to my face seeing how we have advanced. It just goes to show that there is always something new to learn even on topics you may know thoroughly.
While listening to the podcast, I was reminded of a lab I did in eighth grade science where I extracted DNA from strawberries. I remember being shocked with the clear gelatinous substance that remained from the strawberry. The podcast made it a little easier to understand why the DNA didn’t appear as the double helix I recognise it to be. I found it interesting how histones play such a major role in our cells, and storing the important information our DNA carries. Without them, life would be lost.
After listening to the podcast, I am even more in awe of DNA than I was before. Every little detail is critical in order for it to be able to function and be used properly. I had no idea how important histones were in reading DNA. When we learned about them in Honors Biology, it just seemed like they were there only for compacting DNA and keeping it together. After listening to this podcast, I now know that histones are so much more than that. I also never thought about how hard it would be to read DNA when they are so tightly wound. It's so fascinating that the different parts of the cell can communicate with each other so that different sections of the DNA can be made more readable. I also wonder how a scientist must feel when they discover a totally new substance. I know I would be doubting myself. Overall, it is insane to me how these miniscule molecules are the blueprint for every living thing on this Earth.
After listening to Short Wave’s episode on DNA, I am surprised by the importance of protein in DNA. Before, I used to only associate DNA and gene expression with nucleic acids. However, this episode has revealed the critical role histone proteins play when it comes to not only storing DNA but also in reading its genetic information. According to the episode, a DNA double helix is wrapped around multiple histone proteins. Depending on how tightly wound the DNA is to the histone proteins, DNA can be less or more easily read. Thus, I was shocked to learn that gene expression and cell specialization could not occur without these proteins.
The podcast, "The Secret History of DNA" was very interesting and informative to listen to. I enjoyed how the hosts kept me entertained and engaged while helping me learn more about DNA. I find it incredible how histones are so important to our DNA and cell development. I am also amazed at how histones can control how much DNA is stretched out and read them. Before this podcast, I had not really learned about histones, only heard of them, however this podcast gave me a very good idea on how they work and what they do, despite it only being 10 minutes long. I find it fascinating how DNA and histones work, especially with 6 feet of DNA being able to fit into one tiny cell, and our bodies still being able to utilize it. Overall, this podcast was great, and I loved how engaging it was while still being very informative.
The podcast "The Secret History of DNA" was very intriguing to listen to, as it incorporated history, scientific facts, and friendly banter into a lesson on DNA. I knew that DNA (and really, anything to do with the parts of a cell) is very small, but the idea that the nucleus where DNA is stored is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand really put it into perspective for me. All of the comparisons they made, including the histones and double helices as beads on a string, were very helpful in giving me a clearer understanding of their structure, function, and importance. I had never heard of histones before, and it was surprising to learn just how crucial they are to life. Even though the DNA serves as the directions for all of the necessary bodily functions, the directions need to be managed and given to the right cells, which is why the histone is so important. Podcasts like this one always remind me how remarkably efficient yet complex the human body is.
After listening to the podcast "The Secret History of DNA" I learnt that histone proteins have a very important job in or DNA to package and to make parts of it accessible to be read to make stuff that my body would need to function. Without it I would have six feet strands of DNA and I find that very amusing so I am very happy that my histone proteins can package all that information into one little cell.
The podcast "The Secret History of DNA" briefly describes the important characteristics of DNA and some background history as well. I found the history of it very interesting as scientists used puss and fish sperm in their studies. Also I learned many new things such as histones and their role in our bodies. Due to cells having lots of jobs in our bodies, they can change as well when it comes to division of cells and histones play a good part in it. One thing I found interesting is that they mentioned how if we look into our cells and our DNA, it wouldn't look like a double helix. I feel like this podcast gave me a better understanding of DNA and also got to learn more about it and the other parts that come into play that help our body function properly.
The podcast, “The Secret History of DNA” was very informative. It was an easy listen and a short podcast that made facts about DNA very clear. I enjoyed getting a recap on the basics of DNA and finding out new things that I had no clue about. I found it interesting to learn about how DNA looks nothing like a double helix strand on the inside. It’s instead 6 feet tall in one cell and it’s packed very tightly like beads on a string. It’s amazing the power of each bead, the histone protein that control everything wrapped around the string, the DNA strand. I learned about how different packaging changes how the dna is accessible to our cells. tight packaging is when the beads are close together and it’s very hard to access. Our lung and mouth cells don’t need the same things, so depending on what we need the cells send signals to our histones to let them know if they should do loose packaging or tight packaging. I was glad that this podcast was easy to understand because I was very intrigued to find out all this new information and got a lot of things out of it.
I loved the podcast, "The Secret History of DNA" I think podcasts and videos are always great ways to learn new things, and personally for me I'm an auditory learner so I'm always looking for new podcasts. I really enjoyed learing about this topic espically since during honors bio it was a bit more difficult. Sure DNA is really simple only using ATGC but the whole process of it can sometimes get confusing. I think my facorive par tof the whole podcast was when they talked about how long a stand of DNA is packed into a tiny little cell. I crazy to imagine all of that in a cell and imagine how much cells or in our body and how much DNA it holds!
I really enjoyed listening to this podcast because I learned a lot of new information about DNA and histone proteins. I was very shocked to hear that DNA isn't always in the form of a double helix since that's how I have been taught. I was also very shocked when I heard how much DNA was in each cell. I was amazed at how 6ft of DNA could possibly fit in a cell that’’s only 10 micrometers long. I also learned about histone proteins, which I didn't even know existed. HIstone proteins are used to organize DNA in our cells. I was surprised when the host said that they were so ancient, that we have the same histone proteins as yeast. That would mean they have been with us through our entire evolution process, which really shows how essential they are to us. I thought it was very cool how histone proteins can change the way DNA is packaged so that DNA can be more accessible depending on what the cell needs.
I enjoyed listening to the podcast, “The Secret History of DNA” because of the hosts’ fun energy and their conversations with each other. Also, some of the information mentioned in the podcast was information that I knew from biology in freshman year, so it was a great refresher. DNA is an interesting topic and I did learn new things, especially about histones. I did not know a lot about histones until this podcast gave me a clear and easy-to-understand explanation of them.
I also learned that if DNA is stretched out, it would be six feet tall. It is amazing how that much DNA could fit into just one cell. Also, it is fascinating to me that something as simple as DNA, makes up us, humans. DNA has a simple structure. It is only made up of four nucleotides, but with these nucleotides, it makes all the proteins we need to function. DNA continues to amaze me with its vital role in the human body.
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