Atoms Alive is a series about DNA and genetics, which has been produced to support the biology curriculum for upper secondary students.

It seems incredible that all life on earth comes from the information held in a single kind of molecule. DNA is an immense molecule that can direct the fantastically complex chemistry of the cell, reproduce itself, and even self-modify to take advantage of new conditions. You could say that all the different forms of life, from earliest to modern, are simply the different
disguises of DNA as it has tried out many containers for itself. How is it conceivable that a molecule made of only four types of building blocks can create such sophistication?

Click here for online Teacher Resources
(ABC Online)

Subtitles CC

Date	Episode Information
Friday 25 July 10.30am	05. DNA: Regulation and Mutation Discusses regulation of genetic expression, and mutation. · How genes are controlled or 'regulated'. · Cloning versus sexual reproduction. · Changes to the DNA - good and bad. · If all cells in an organism share the same genome, why aren't they all alike? · We look at examples of totipotency. · Any random change to a gene is a mutation; good, bad and neutral mutations. Oscar, the blind dog is a case of a double recessive mutated gene. · Sexual reproduction mixes genes.
Friday 1 August 10.30am	06. Recombinant DNA Turns to human experimentation with DNA - moving genes around, recombinant DNA. · The ways and outcomes of transferring genes from one organism to another. · We begin with an explanation of restriction enzymes, the chemistry that makes recombinant DNA possible. · The gene gun is a crude way of tranferring DNA. · Bacterial plasmid vectors are more sophisticated.They have resulted in biological products made like the production of human insulin via bacterial culture. · Gene therapy and cancer. · Applications in agriculture.
Friday 8 August 10.30am	07. DNA Technology Looks at DNA fingerprinting and how DNA technology is probing the genome. · This program begins with a forensic lab doing DNA fingerprinting. · How we read DNA and some uses of this technology. · Finding and creating genes. · Accuracy considerations. · Limits of nuclear DNA in tracing lineage - usefulness of tracing the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA. · Three ways of isolating or constructing genes in the laboratory.
Friday 15 August 10.30am	08. Genetic Issues Considers genetic issues, discussing how genetics might play out in the future. People love the idea of genetics curing disease, but they distrust and even fear human cloning, GM foods and human germ line therapy. Why can't we have the genetics we want, but not the genetics we don't want? Problem is it's all the same technology! This program aims to supply information to support discussion of genetic issues. We outline the problems and possibilities of genetic technology, without being judgemental.