Icefish Blood Adaptations: Antifreeze Proteins

Topic
Resource Type
Description
This hands-on activity serves as an introduction to the film The Birth and Death of Genes. Students investigate the importance of antifreeze proteins for icefish survival through one of two short labs.
The activity includes two short labs that allow students to explore a key adaptation introduced in the film: antifreeze proteins in the blood. By creating models icefish blood and exploring its properties, students are motivated to think about how having blood that does not freeze in Antarctic waters might be an important adaptation for certain fish. They then watch the film to learn more about this evolutionary process.
Student Learning Targets
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Explain the importance of different adaptations (in particular, antifreeze proteins) to the survival of notothenioids.
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Use models to make scientific claims based on evidence and reasoning.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
antifreeze protein, freezing point, ice crystal, mutation, trait, variation
Terms of Use
The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
HS-LS1-1, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4; SEP2, SEP6
AP Biology (2019)
EVO-1.C, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.H, EVO-1.J, EVO-1.O, SYI-3.A, SYI-3.D; SP1, SP2
IB Biology (2016)
3.1, 5.2, 6.2
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Topic(s): 2.6, 2.4
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, ERT-2.F, SP3, SP5
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
3.2
Common Core (2010)
ELA.RST.9–12.3, ELA.WHST.9–12.1
Vision and Change (2009)
CC1, CC2, CC5; DP1, DP3