DNA is the genetic material and the recognized as the most important discovery made by man in the 20th century. It is the basis of genetic engineering, treatment of diseases and understanding of inheritance patterns in living things, especially, humans. But unfortunately, few people understand this magical molecule. For the grade 8s, the study of the DNA opens a door of possibilities for understanding many things.How do genetic diseases arise? How is the gender of a child determined? What does the DNA look like and what is its relationship with genes and chromosomes? These are examples of questions the grade 8s have been exploring this week. Students are enthusiastic about the unit and they are asking a lot of questions. When students fully grasp the molecular structure of the DNA, they will proceed to extract DNA from various organisms. This is expected to be an exciting experience for the class since it would be the first time students will have the opportunity to extract DNA from plants and animals.
