Search results for: DNA
Bacterial DNA & Genetics: Crash Course Biology #38
Bacteria often get a bad rap, but they’re some of our best partners in science and medicine! In this episode, we’ll explore what bacteria are doing with their DNA — including how they can trade it around. We’ll learn about chromosomes and plasmids, gene expression and recombinant DNA, and how E. coli are used to…
Read MoreDNA Structure & Replication: Our Instruction Manual for Existing: Crash Course Biology #33
Your DNA contains all the instructions your body needs to function. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll figure out what this giant instruction manual looks like and how this three-billion-letter code gets copied into your trillions of cells through DNA replication.
Read MoreDNA, Hot Pockets, & The Longest Word Ever: Crash Course Biology #111
Hank imagines himself breaking into the Hot Pockets factory to steal their secret recipes and instruction manuals in order to help us understand how the processes known as DNA transcription and translation allow our cells to build proteins.
Read MoreDNA Structure and Replication: Crash Course Biology #110
Hank introduces us to that wondrous molecule deoxyribonucleic acid – also known as DNA – and explains how it replicates itself in our cells.
Read MoreBioinformatics: How Data Saves Lives: Crash Course Biology #40
On its own, a huge DNA sequence is a meaningless pile of data — so, how do biologists figure out what it means? They turn to the power of bioinformatics! In this episode, we’ll learn what bioinformatics is, how it works, and how scientists have used it to better understand everything from evolution to a…
Read MoreHow Genes Express Themselves: Crash Course Biology #36
If nearly all your cells have the same DNA, why are muscle cells so different from skin cells? In this episode, we’ll learn how gene expression is regulated in eukaryotes, and how methylating DNA, modifying histones, and messing with translation not only leads to different types of cells, but allows cells to adapt to the…
Read MoreTranscription: How mRNA Helped Save Lives: Crash Course Biology #34
You’ve probably heard of mRNA, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine. But what is mRNA exactly? In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we learn about the role of messenger RNA in living things and how it decodes our DNA instruction manual through transcription.
Read MoreIntro to Genetics: Why Your Cat Looks Like That: Crash Course Biology #31
How do traits get passed down in our DNA? And what do genes have to do with cat fur? In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll untangle the simplest patterns of inheritance, and reassure our redheaded friends—you’re not going anywhere.
Read MoreMeiosis: Why Are All Humans Unique?: Crash Course Biology #30
Ever wonder why we aren’t exact clones of our parents, or why siblings aren’t exactly alike? The reason traces back to meiosis. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll discover how egg and sperm cells get made and learn why you’re a totally unique remix of your parents’ DNA.
Read MorePopulation Genetics: Why Do We Have Different Skin Colors?: Crash Course Biology #14
In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn about the ways population genetics reveals how groups of living things evolve—by comparing genetic similarities and differences. We’ll discover the most genetically diverse species of all (hint: it’s not us), find out why “race” isn’t the biologically valid category we’ve made it out to be, and…
Read MorePlant Cells & Hormones: Crash Course Botany #3
At first glance, plant and animal cells have a lot in common: they’re both highly organized, keep their DNA tucked away in an envelope, and are kinda juicy inside. But plant cells have evolved some wild features that set them apart from animal cells. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll ask: are plants…
Read MorePhylogenic Mysteries: Crash Course Zoology #12
In today’s episode of Crash Course Zoology, we’re going to solve some phylogenetic mysteries! There are so many more questions we have yet to answer in Zoology so grab some fossils, fire up the DNA sequences, and bring your best hypothesis as we try to figure out where all the baby eels are, explain why…
Read MoreBiological Polymers: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #49
You might think a self-regulating factory sounds pretty unbelievable, but that’s pretty much exactly how our bodies work! Our bodies are full of regulatory mechanisms that keep all the organic molecules we need to live in balance. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll look at the building blocks that form these biological…
Read MoreBiochemical Building Blocks & Fischer and Hawthorn Projections: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #48
Although we’ve spent a lot of time in this series looking at human-made organic chemicals, the term “organic chemistry” was originally used to describe molecules isolated from living things. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’re going back to our roots to learn more about the best synthetic chemists: living things. We’ll look…
Read MoreThe Diels-Alder & Other Pericyclic Reactions: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #42
Going out in the sun can work wonders for your mood, but unfortunately too much UV exposure can do serious damage to your DNA. This damage occurs through a type of organic reaction called a pericyclic reaction. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll explore pericyclic reactions to see how the sun can…
Read More3D Structure and Bonding: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #4
The organic molecules that makeup life on Earth are more than just the 2-D structures we’ve been drawing so far. Molecules have 3-D shapes that help us understand what they can do. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll learn how orbital hybridization and valence bond theory can help us explain 3D molecular…
Read MoreAgribusiness, GMOs, and their Role in Development: Crash Course Geography #41
On November 26, 2020, trade unions in India reported that over 250 MILLION people took part in a strike. What could prompt such massive protest? Farming. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at GMOs, which are organisms whose DNA has been modified in a laboratory, and examine the impact of one GMO in…
Read MoreBiotechnology: Crash Course History of Science #40
The history of discovering what DNA is, what it looks like, and how it works is… complicated. But, in this episode of History of Science, Hank Green does his best to lay out the basics so we can understand the beginnings of Biotechnology.
Read MoreChanging the Blueprints of Life – Genetic Engineering: Crash Course Engineering #38
Can we change the blueprints of life? This week we are exploring that question with genetic engineering. We’ll discuss how selective breeding can improve agricultural practices, and the potential DNA-level engineering could have on other fields of engineering. We’ll also look at how optogenetics and CRISPR have opened up new ways for genetic engineers to…
Read MoreHow to Engineer Health – Drug Discovery & Delivery: Crash Course Engineering #36
Engineers are problem solvers, and our own health is full of problems to be engineered. In this episode, we discuss drug discovery and drug delivery. We’ll explore everything from classical and reverse pharmacology to the new field of synthetic biology. We’ll also look at how important good disease detection is and why we need more…
Read MoreThe Law of Conservation: Crash Course Engineering #7
Today Shini explains the law of conservation, beginning with simple, steady-state systems. We’ll discuss conversion and yield, accumulation, and how generation and consumption can affect how much accumulation there is in a system. Crash Course Engineering is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios. RESOURCES: http://www.keenovens.com/articles/steel-furnance.htm http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Stainless-Steel.html https://www.nps.gov/stli/faqs.htm https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/places_restoring.htm https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-doesnt-stainless-stee/ https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-some-things-rust https://www.engineersedge.com/thermodynamics/steady_state.htm https://www.britannica.com/science/conservation-law http://www.keenovens.com/articles/steel-furnance.htm http://discoverykids.com/articles/how-is-steel-made-from-iron/…
Read MoreLife Begins: Crash Course Big History #104
In which Hank and John Green teach you about life on Earth. They won’t be giving advice on how life should be lived, because this is a history series. Instead, they’ll teach you about the earliest forms of life on Earth, and some of the ways that they developed into the types of life we…
Read MoreThe Oort Cloud: Crash Course Astronomy #22
Now that we’re done with the planets, asteroid belt, and comets, we’re heading to the outskirts of the solar system. Out past Neptune are vast reservoirs of icy bodies that can become comets if they get poked into the inner solar system. The Kuiper Belt is a donut shape aligned with the plane of the…
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