Additional Supplemental Resources

Websites

• The Human Genome Project (Links to an external site.)
  • The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an inward voyage of discovery led by an international team of researchers looking to sequence and map all of the genes — together known as the genome — of members of our species, Homo sapiens. Beginning in October 1990 and completed in April 2003, the HGP gave us the ability, for the first time, to read nature’s complete genetic blueprint for building a human being.
• Institute for Behavioral Genetics (Links to an external site.)
  • Founded in 1967, IBG is one of the top research facilities in the world for genetic research on behavior. Data collection and analysis are ongoing for several internationally renowned studies including the Colorado Adoption Project, the Colorado Twin Registry, the National Youth Survey Family Study, the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center, and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

Videos

• Fertilization
  • This video, created by Nucleus Medical Media, shows human fertilization, also known as conception. Shown at a cellular level magnification, sperm struggle through many obstacles in the female reproductive tract to reach the egg. Then genetic material from the egg and a single sperm combines to form a new human being.
• Conception to birth- Visualized
  • Image-maker Alexander Tsiaras shares a powerful medical visualization, showing human development from conception to birth and beyond.
• What are DNA and Genes?
  • The Genetic Science Learning Center sponsored by the University of Utah delivers educational materials on genetics, bioscience, and health topics. All humans have the same genes arranged in the same order. And more than 99.9% of our DNA sequence is the same. But the few differences between us (all 1.4 million of them!) are enough to make each one of us unique.
• What is Inheritance?
  • The Genetic Science Learning Center sponsored by the University of Utah delivers educational materials on genetics, bioscience, and health topics.  This video explains the importance of genetic variation.
• Down Syndrome- Ability Awareness
  • What comes to mind when you think of a person who has Down Syndrome?  Do you have a preconceived idea of what their abilities might be? Chris Burke talks about his experience and his work at the National Down Syndrome Society.
• Prenatal Testing Options
  • The University of Michigan provides this video that explains the difference between prenatal screening and diagnostic testing.  Pregnant women are faced with the decision of whether to undergo prenatal screening and testing – and, if so – which of the many options to choose from.
• Prenatal Development: What We Learn Inside the Womb
  • Let’s watch what we experience and learn inside the womb from the fetus’ perspective.
• TED talk: How CRISPR lets us Edit our DNA
  • Geneticist Jennifer Doudna co-invented a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which could lead to treatments for genetic diseases … but could also be used to create so-called “designer babies.” Doudna reviews how CRISPR-Cas9 works — and asks the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this new tool.