Genetic Switches

Start Interactive
Image from the interactive

Topic

Resource Type

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Favorited By
11 Users

Description

This two-slide tutorial describes how genetic switches, regulatory elements in DNA, control gene expression.

Genetic switches can turn genes on and off in different tissues. In this Click & Learn, students explore two examples: the regulation of the Pitx1 gene in stickleback fish, which affects body morphology, and the regulation of the “paintbrush” gene in Drosophila fruit flies, which affects wing pigmentation.

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

enhancer, regulation, regulatory switch, tissue-specific expression, transcription

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History

Date Published

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1.A

AP Biology (2019)

IST-2.A, IST-2.C, IST-2.B, IST-2.D, IST-2.E, IST-3.F

IB Biology (2016)

2.7, 7.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC2

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About Stickleback Fish

Showing of
Graph from the paper
Data Points
Schooling Behavior of Stickleback Fish from Different Habitats
Screen shot of the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies
Screenshot of the virtual lab
Virtual Labs
Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab
Photo of a stickleback from the film
Short Films
The Making of the Fittest: Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies
Photo of a researcher looking in a microscope
Film Activities
Activity for Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies
Image of a stickleback fish from the activity
Phenomenal Images
Stickleback Spines
Image from the activity
Labs & Demos
Modeling the Regulatory Switches of the Pitx1 Gene in Stickleback Fish
Image of stickleback cards from the activity
Card Activities
Using Genetic Crosses to Analyze a Stickleback Trait
Image of a stickleback fossil
Clips
Fossil Record of Stickleback Evolution
Image from the video
Animations
Regulatory Switches in Stickleback Fish
Image of a graph from the activity
Data Points
Pelvic Evolution in Sticklebacks
Image of a stickleback being eaten from the interactive
Clips
Stickleback Fish Environment

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Image from the video
Animations
Regulatory Switches in Stickleback Fish
Image from the video
Animations
Regulatory Switches in Drosophila
Image from the activity
Lessons
Zebrafish and Skin Color
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Visualizing Gene-Expression Patterns
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Regulation of the Lactase Gene
Computer model of p53
Animations
Role of p53 in Transcription
Image from the video
Animations
The Mammalian Biological Clock
Illustration of DNA from the video
Animations
Seeing Single Molecules Move
Computer image of regulation from the video
Animations
Regulation of Eukaryotic DNA Transcription
Image from the video showing RNA as a strip of paper
Animations
RNA Splicing