Achievement objective LW 7-3

Indicators

• Describes the structure of DNA, RNA, and proteins.
• Relates the structure of DNA to its role in storing genetic information.
• Relates the structure of proteins to their structural, enzymic, and regulatory roles.
• Accurately describes the processes of transcription and translation.
• Identifies a range of environmental mutagens.
• Predicts the possible outcomes of a particular base mutation on the composition of a polypeptide chain.
• Appreciates the significance of redundancy in the possible outcomes of a point mutation.
• Explains a simple metabolic pathway in terms of its enzyme-catalysed steps.
• Predicts the likely phenotypic outcome(s) of a mutation that results in one enzyme in a metabolic pathway being missing or faulty.
• Recognises that the environment interacts with the genotype to produce the phenotype.

Possible context elaborations

• The historical background to the discovery of DNA structure.
• Construct paper models of individual nucleotide monomers and assemble them into a model of a DNA polymer.
• Visiting health nurse speaks about the Guthrie card tests for newborn babies.
• What causes albinism in humans?
• What is meant by an 'essential' amino acid and how does it differ in various groups of organisms?
• Why do humans get scurvy?
• Study lactose intolerance in different ethnic groups.
• Nature versus nurture: explore the data from identical-twin studies.
• Culture Drosophila flies (or use computer models) to trace sex-linked traits through successive generations.
• Model crossing over using pipe cleaners or straws and relate to modified phenotype ratios.
• DOC translocation of endangered saddlebacks to offshore islands: How has this strategy affected allele frequencies in isolated populations of saddlebacks?

Assessment for qualifications

At the time of publication, achievement standards were in development to align them with The New Zealand Curriculum. Please ensure that you are using the correct version of the standards by going to the  NZQA website.

The NZQA subject-specific resources pages are very helpful. From there, you can find all the achievement standards and links to assessment resources, both internal and external.

Learn more:

• NZQA subject resources for Biology

Aligned level 1 achievement standards were registered for use in 2011 and level 2 for use in 2012; level 3 will be registered for use in 2013.

Last updated September 15, 2020

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