Gene Technologies A Level Biology

This is a lesson I used myself to teach the Gene Technologies concept of the Control of Gene Expression unit, unit 8. - A level Biology, AQA specification.

Learning objective: To understand and evaluate the full range of gene technologies — including gene isolation, amplification, insertion, identification, analysis, and real-world applications — and explain how these techniques are used in medicine, forensics, and biotechnology.

By the end of the lesson learners should be able to:

Success criteria:

SC1: I can clearly describe how genes are isolated (restriction enzymes, reverse transcriptase, gene machines), amplified (PCR), inserted into vectors, and how transformed cells are identified (marker genes, probes, electrophoresis).

SC2: I can apply gene technology techniques to unfamiliar scenarios (e.g., selecting the correct enzyme, diagnosing diseases using probes, interpreting VNTR profiles, identifying transformed bacteria).

SC3: I can evaluate the advantages, limitations, and ethical implications of recombinant DNA, genetic screening, personalised medicine, GM crops, and DNA fingerprinting in forensics and healthcare.

Contains past paper questions that target this topic, some questions require knowledge from prior lessons. The mark scheme is also included to verify answers.

Powerpoint contains 27 slides and 8 past paper questions.