Reference no: EM133635883
INTRODUCTION
In class, we touched on a few different forms of sex determination (XY in humans and fruit flies, ZW in some reptiles, temperature-dependent in alligators). However, there are many other forms of sex determination that we did not cover, and of those we did, we barely scratched the surface of the true complexity. Sex determination often involves interactions between chromosomes, gene expression, and cell signaling processes, which can result in a wide variety of different sexes, both within individual species and across the tree of life. The biology behind it is cool and ties together many of the topics we have covered in this class! It has also become a politically charged issue (yes, even sex determination in other species, believe it or not), so it is important for you as biologists to be able to evaluate arguments about sex determination.
In this project, you will explore the process of sex determination in a species of your choice!
DIRECTIONS
1. Choose a species or a group of related species. You may choose any species that has some form of sex determination (it doesn't even have to be an animal!).
2. Research the mechanisms behind sex determination in that species. These mechanisms will likely include:
a. Chromosomes (although not every species has chromosomally determined sex)
b. Gene expression
c. Cell signaling
3. Present what you learn about sex determination in your species. I am using the term "present" loosely here. The format of your final product is entirely up to you! You are welcome to use a traditional method like writing a report or giving a presentation, but you could also choose to do something like make a video or an art project. Get creative! What is important is that in whatever format you choose, you are able to convey what you learned about the mechanisms of sex determination in your species. Your audience for this assignment is adults without a science background, so do you best to present the information in a non-technical manner.
Here are a few tools you can check out if you want to get creative with your project:
- Pixton comic builder (you can get a 7-day free trial)
- Flixier video editor (there is a free account option)
- ThingLink interactive media builder (you can get a 30-day free trial)
- Piktochart infographic design (free)
- Canva design tool (includes a variety of tools for presentations, posters, video editing, etc.; there is a free option)