Originally produced by Video Education Australia, this program opens with a brief review of DNA composition before examining two genetic diseases, hemophilia and Parkinson's, and the gene therapies currently being developed to treat them. Breaking the Code has excellent on-screen graphics: titles show key vocabulary words and the computer animation is crisp and bright. The biggest caveat is the Austral/Anglo spellings and phraseology, such as "haemophilia" on screen or a phrase like"...where the message for a protein starts and where it stops, a bit like a full stop." The average American student (who has never had the joy of learning Anglo American Cataloging Rules) won't know that "full stop" refers to a period at the end of a sentence. Recommended for schools that have the money and don't have comparable titles, this tape could also serve as a departure point for further class debate, since the ethical ramifications of fetal testing are briefly discussed. Aud: H, C. (R. Reagan)
Breaking the Code: Applying Genetic Techniques to Human Disease
(1997) 38 min. $149 (teacher’s guide included). Human Relations Media. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 12, Issue 4
Breaking the Code: Applying Genetic Techniques to Human Disease
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