What is a realistic experiment a high school student can conduct concerning genetics?

Question

Im doing an inquiry project for my Bio 2 AP class. We can choose any subject and create an experiment based on that subject. I am most interested in genetics but I don't know of an experiment that I could realistically do involving that. If you have any ideas for something fairly simple that a high school senior could accomplish please help. thank you =)

Answer 1

It depends on what kind of equipment you have in class.  If you have a gel box and the materials to set up and read a DNA gel, you might be able to do a DNA 'fingerprint' of some of the students in your class.  You could even set it up like a forensics investigation.

You could get a whole bunch of people in the class to volunteer for a cheek swab.  Have your teacher randomly (and anonymously) choose one of those samples to be your 'evidence,' then digest and analyze all of the samples, compare them, the find the 'culprit.'  You'd have to do a little research and find the proper restriction enzymes for this sort of thing, though.

If you don't have the gel equipment or restriction enzymes, you could try and do a pedigree of different traits in your extended family (eye color, blood type if possible, hair color, etc) and track the different alleles through your family.

Answer 2

There are kits you can get to sequence part of your own DNA.  I gather it's neither expensive nor painful.