Code Crackers

Are you a master DNA code cracker? Can you crack DNA codes to discover the proteins they produce? This activity demonstrates how genes encode proteins. Using a codon wheel to translate DNA sequences into amino acid chains, you will match your protein sequences to Protein Profiles Cards and discover what animals have them and how they use them to survive.

DNA sequence is converted into a string of amino acids that form a protein. There are 20 different amino acids and the order and combinations of amino acids that make up a protein determine the protein’s unique function in the body. The human genome contains over 20,000 protein-coding genes.

Age: 10+ (ks2)