Protein Fingerprinting, For 6 groups of 4-5 or 24-30 students.

Each tissue of an organism performs a specific function, for example, the heart has a completely different role than that of the brain.  The diverse functions of an organism’s tissues is due to the protein make-up, or fingerprint, of the tissue.  Each organ contains specialized proteins that work together to allow the organ to complete its function.  In this lab activity, students learn to perform simple protein isolation procedures to isolate the protein fingerprint from various fresh tissues.  They will compare the protein fingerprints of 4 different tissues to understand that the function of a particular organ is due to the proteins that are localized to the specific organ.  Also included in this kit are four dried protein samples to compare as a control, if fresh tissues can not be obtained.  These include mouse liver, brain, heart and lungs.   Supplied with components needed for hands-on experimentation for six workstations of 4-5 students or 24-30 students. Supplied with Teacher’s Guide and separate Student’s Guides. Applications This lab activity teaches the following: Manipulation of protein samples. Protein molecules as the building blocks of life. Protein electrophoresis for problem solving tasks. Protein diversity across the animal kingdom.