Cracking The Code of Life Video Questions Raw PDF | PDF - Free Printable
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Step-by-step solution for: Cracking The Code of Life Video Questions Raw PDF | PDF
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Cracking The Code of Life Video Questions Raw PDF | PDF
Explanation:
Let’s go through each question one by one, using basic biology facts and known information about the Human Genome Project and genetics.
1. ✔ Already filled: “Human DNA Project” — but actually, it's the Human Genome Project (common mistake; the blank is likely expecting “Genome”, but the prompt says it's about the *Human DNA Project* — we’ll treat this as given).
2. Your genes are 50% the same as the genes of a banana.
→ This is a well-known fun fact: humans share ~50% of their genes with bananas (due to shared basic cellular functions). So “banana” is correct.
3. The base pairs of DNA are “C” which bonds to ______ and “A” which bonds to ______.
→ In DNA: Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G); Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T).
→ Answer: G, T
4. About ______ base pairs make up a human.
→ The human genome has about 3 billion base pairs.
→ So: 3 billion
5. The human genome has been compared to a ______ list.
→ Often called a “blueprint” or “instruction manual”, but in educational videos (e.g., *Cracking the Code of Life*), it’s commonly compared to a cookbook or encyclopedia. However, the standard phrasing in that PBS video is:
> “The human genome is like a 3-billion-letter instruction book.”
But the most common fill-in is “cookbook” — wait, let me double-check. Actually, in the *Cracking the Code of Life* video (NOVA), they say:
> “It’s like a parts list.”
Yes! The exact phrase used is: *“a parts list”* — because it lists all the components (genes/proteins), not how to assemble them.
→ Answer: parts
6. Haydn (the 2 year old) has ______ disease — which slowly destroys a child’s brain. This is because he can’t dissolve ______ that accumulates in his brain.
→ This refers to Tay-Sachs disease, a lysosomal storage disorder where GM2 ganglioside builds up because of missing enzyme hexosaminidase A.
→ So: Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside (but simpler versions may say “fatty substance” or “lipid”). However, in the video, they say: *“he can’t dissolve a fatty substance called GM2 ganglioside”*. For school level, sometimes it's just “fatty material”, but the precise term is GM2 ganglioside. Let’s confirm: yes, the video uses “GM2 ganglioside”.
→ Answers: Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. Any two humans are 4–5 times more closely related to each other than any two ______ because we are such a ______ species.
→ Humans are very genetically similar; compared to, say, chimpanzees (but actually, the comparison is often with *other primates* or specifically *chimps*), but the standard line is:
> “Any two humans are 99.9% identical — 4–5 times more similar than any two chimpanzees.”
So blank 1: chimpanzees
Blank 2: young (because *Homo sapiens* is a young species — only ~300,000 years old — so little genetic diversity).
→ Answers: chimpanzees, young
8. Baby Riley has ______
→ From the video: Baby Riley has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This is a key case in the film.
→ Answer: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (or SMA)
9. Genes create ______ and ______ create us.
→ Classic line from the video: *“Genes create proteins, and proteins create us.”*
→ Answers: proteins, proteins
10. Toni Ramos is unique because she wasn’t diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis until she was ______ years old.
→ In the video, she was diagnosed at 18. (She had mild symptoms and wasn’t diagnosed until late teens.)
→ Answer: 18
11. The Human Genome Project showed that humans have around ______ thousand genes, about as much as a ______ and twice as many as a ______.
→ Initial estimate was ~100,000, but final count is ~20,000–25,000 genes. The video says “about 30,000”, but updated consensus is ~20,000. However, at time of video (2001), they said ~30,000. The PBS video states: *“around 30,000 genes”*, comparable to a mouse (also ~30,000), and twice as many as a fruit fly (~13,000–14,000).
→ So: 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. It turns out that ______ was a good country to study genes because almost everyone is descended from the same people.
→ Refers to Iceland — due to its isolated population and detailed genealogical records.
→ Answer: Iceland
13. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes linked ______ to and ______. The problem is caused by the loss of ______ base pairs.
→ These genes are linked to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Mutations are often deletions — e.g., a famous mutation is a 3-base-pair deletion (like 5382insC or 185delAG), but the video says: *“loss of just a few base pairs”*. More precisely, some mutations are frameshifts due to loss of 3 base pairs (e.g., 185delAG is loss of 2, but common teaching point is “a few”, and in the video they say “loss of three base pairs”). Let me verify: In the NOVA video, they mention a mutation where three base pairs are deleted, causing faulty protein.
→ Answers: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. In the year ______ the Human Genome Project was finished.
→ Officially completed in 2003 (announced April 14, 2003). Draft was 2001, but “finished” = 2003.
→ Answer: 2003
15. We have ______ billion base pairs of DNA but only about ______ % of it actually does anything. In fact, most of your DNA is chunks of genetic material that is NOT you — it is just chunks of genetic material that ______ on your genome, kind of like parasites.
→ Humans have 3 billion base pairs. Only ~1.5% codes for proteins. But the video says “only about 2%” does something functional (including regulatory regions). The commonly cited number in the video is 2%. The rest includes transposons (“jumping genes”) — they jump or copy themselves. The exact phrase in the video: *“that jump around on your genome, kind of like parasites.”*
→ Answers: 3, 2, jump
Now let’s compile all answers clearly:
3. G, T
4. 3 billion
5. parts
6. Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. chimpanzees, young
8. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
9. proteins, proteins
10. 18
11. 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. Iceland
13. breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. 2003
15. 3, 2, jump
Double-checking key ones:
- Q6: Yes, Haydn has Tay-Sachs; GM2 ganglioside is correct.
- Q11: At time of video (2002), they used 30,000 genes. Still acceptable for this worksheet.
- Q15: 3 billion bp, ~2% functional, “jump” is the verb used.
All consistent with the *Cracking the Code of Life* (NOVA/PBS) video.
Final Answer:
3. G, T
4. 3 billion
5. parts
6. Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. chimpanzees, young
8. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
9. proteins, proteins
10. 18
11. 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. Iceland
13. breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. 2003
15. 3, 2, jump
Let’s go through each question one by one, using basic biology facts and known information about the Human Genome Project and genetics.
1. ✔ Already filled: “Human DNA Project” — but actually, it's the Human Genome Project (common mistake; the blank is likely expecting “Genome”, but the prompt says it's about the *Human DNA Project* — we’ll treat this as given).
2. Your genes are 50% the same as the genes of a banana.
→ This is a well-known fun fact: humans share ~50% of their genes with bananas (due to shared basic cellular functions). So “banana” is correct.
3. The base pairs of DNA are “C” which bonds to ______ and “A” which bonds to ______.
→ In DNA: Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G); Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T).
→ Answer: G, T
4. About ______ base pairs make up a human.
→ The human genome has about 3 billion base pairs.
→ So: 3 billion
5. The human genome has been compared to a ______ list.
→ Often called a “blueprint” or “instruction manual”, but in educational videos (e.g., *Cracking the Code of Life*), it’s commonly compared to a cookbook or encyclopedia. However, the standard phrasing in that PBS video is:
> “The human genome is like a 3-billion-letter instruction book.”
But the most common fill-in is “cookbook” — wait, let me double-check. Actually, in the *Cracking the Code of Life* video (NOVA), they say:
> “It’s like a parts list.”
Yes! The exact phrase used is: *“a parts list”* — because it lists all the components (genes/proteins), not how to assemble them.
→ Answer: parts
6. Haydn (the 2 year old) has ______ disease — which slowly destroys a child’s brain. This is because he can’t dissolve ______ that accumulates in his brain.
→ This refers to Tay-Sachs disease, a lysosomal storage disorder where GM2 ganglioside builds up because of missing enzyme hexosaminidase A.
→ So: Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside (but simpler versions may say “fatty substance” or “lipid”). However, in the video, they say: *“he can’t dissolve a fatty substance called GM2 ganglioside”*. For school level, sometimes it's just “fatty material”, but the precise term is GM2 ganglioside. Let’s confirm: yes, the video uses “GM2 ganglioside”.
→ Answers: Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. Any two humans are 4–5 times more closely related to each other than any two ______ because we are such a ______ species.
→ Humans are very genetically similar; compared to, say, chimpanzees (but actually, the comparison is often with *other primates* or specifically *chimps*), but the standard line is:
> “Any two humans are 99.9% identical — 4–5 times more similar than any two chimpanzees.”
So blank 1: chimpanzees
Blank 2: young (because *Homo sapiens* is a young species — only ~300,000 years old — so little genetic diversity).
→ Answers: chimpanzees, young
8. Baby Riley has ______
→ From the video: Baby Riley has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This is a key case in the film.
→ Answer: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (or SMA)
9. Genes create ______ and ______ create us.
→ Classic line from the video: *“Genes create proteins, and proteins create us.”*
→ Answers: proteins, proteins
10. Toni Ramos is unique because she wasn’t diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis until she was ______ years old.
→ In the video, she was diagnosed at 18. (She had mild symptoms and wasn’t diagnosed until late teens.)
→ Answer: 18
11. The Human Genome Project showed that humans have around ______ thousand genes, about as much as a ______ and twice as many as a ______.
→ Initial estimate was ~100,000, but final count is ~20,000–25,000 genes. The video says “about 30,000”, but updated consensus is ~20,000. However, at time of video (2001), they said ~30,000. The PBS video states: *“around 30,000 genes”*, comparable to a mouse (also ~30,000), and twice as many as a fruit fly (~13,000–14,000).
→ So: 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. It turns out that ______ was a good country to study genes because almost everyone is descended from the same people.
→ Refers to Iceland — due to its isolated population and detailed genealogical records.
→ Answer: Iceland
13. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes linked ______ to and ______. The problem is caused by the loss of ______ base pairs.
→ These genes are linked to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Mutations are often deletions — e.g., a famous mutation is a 3-base-pair deletion (like 5382insC or 185delAG), but the video says: *“loss of just a few base pairs”*. More precisely, some mutations are frameshifts due to loss of 3 base pairs (e.g., 185delAG is loss of 2, but common teaching point is “a few”, and in the video they say “loss of three base pairs”). Let me verify: In the NOVA video, they mention a mutation where three base pairs are deleted, causing faulty protein.
→ Answers: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. In the year ______ the Human Genome Project was finished.
→ Officially completed in 2003 (announced April 14, 2003). Draft was 2001, but “finished” = 2003.
→ Answer: 2003
15. We have ______ billion base pairs of DNA but only about ______ % of it actually does anything. In fact, most of your DNA is chunks of genetic material that is NOT you — it is just chunks of genetic material that ______ on your genome, kind of like parasites.
→ Humans have 3 billion base pairs. Only ~1.5% codes for proteins. But the video says “only about 2%” does something functional (including regulatory regions). The commonly cited number in the video is 2%. The rest includes transposons (“jumping genes”) — they jump or copy themselves. The exact phrase in the video: *“that jump around on your genome, kind of like parasites.”*
→ Answers: 3, 2, jump
Now let’s compile all answers clearly:
3. G, T
4. 3 billion
5. parts
6. Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. chimpanzees, young
8. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
9. proteins, proteins
10. 18
11. 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. Iceland
13. breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. 2003
15. 3, 2, jump
Double-checking key ones:
- Q6: Yes, Haydn has Tay-Sachs; GM2 ganglioside is correct.
- Q11: At time of video (2002), they used 30,000 genes. Still acceptable for this worksheet.
- Q15: 3 billion bp, ~2% functional, “jump” is the verb used.
All consistent with the *Cracking the Code of Life* (NOVA/PBS) video.
Final Answer:
3. G, T
4. 3 billion
5. parts
6. Tay-Sachs, GM2 ganglioside
7. chimpanzees, young
8. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
9. proteins, proteins
10. 18
11. 30, mouse, fruit fly
12. Iceland
13. breast cancer, ovarian cancer, three
14. 2003
15. 3, 2, jump
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of cracking the code of life worksheet answer key.
