Description
Advanced – For experienced high school and college classes; requires some technical skill.
Students will:
- Observe the powerful effect of mutations on phenotype
- Practice their microscope skills
- Get hands-on experience with an important model organism
This simple kit makes it easy to introduce students to the model organism C. elegans, a microscopic nematode worm used in Nobel Prize-winning studies on development, programmed cell death (apoptosis), and RNA interference. C. elegans is also widely used in studies to gain insight into the function of many human genes.
In this lab, students perform “chunking,” a simple way to move worms from one plate to another. They then observe the morphology, life cycle, and behavior of both wild-type and mutant worms. The observation that different mutants have different phenotypes emphasizes the relationship of genotype to different phenotype.
Note: Because of the time-sensitive preparation and limited shelf life of the kit’s living materials, please order a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the desired ship date. Plan on using the materials within a week of receiving them. Kit ships only on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and is shipped standard overnight delivery.