Unit 5 Reflection

      This unit was about how information flows from DNA to RNA and then to proteins. We learned how DNA codes for all of our traits and the process of protein synthesis and how ribosomes read RNA, which gives us the phenotypes we have, and even mutations, of which there are two types, point and frameshift. The processes involved in this "central dogma" of biology include protein synthesis, which is a two part process of transcription and translation where DNA is copied and the nitrogen bases are read, semi-conservative DNA replication, where the two new strands contain half of the original strand, and DNA regulation, which determines which genes are expressed and which aren't.

http://thebiologyprimer.com/transcription-rna-processing-and-translation/

       In my opinion, the majority of the concepts in this unit was easy to understand. I really understood the process of protein synthesis and how amino acids are made. I also know the different kinds of mutations fairly well, as the protein synthesis lab really helped me understand what exactly happens to the DNA and the resulting protein. Some concepts were a little more vague at first to me, like the gene regulation and expression in. Now I understand the process of gene regulation in prokaryotic cells, but I still need to review how it works in eukaryotic cells. I want to learn more in detail about protein synthesis and why the nitrogen bases in DNA pair up the way that they do. 

      I think that I am understanding the concepts even more than I did last unit. I am definitely putting in more effort into trying to understand what we learn, rather than just blindly memorizing facts like I used to do. According to the VARK questionnaire that I took last unit, I learn best by reading and writing, so I took the approach of reading over my notes and writing my own notes on what I think that I need to study for the test. I remember things better if I physically write them with my own hands, so that is how I've started to prepare for the final exam. I think in the future I still need to work on my time management in terms of studying, as I usually try and cram in the last few days before a test.