The Arsenic Life Debate

For week 2 we will be discussing a case study about the Arsenic Life debate.

The Arsenic Life Debate

For this discussion we will examine a case study about the discovery of a bacterium capable of substituting arsenic for phosphorus in its DNA. The paper was controversial and subject to debate on very public discussions such as twitter and blog posts. In this discussion we will examine the findings of the paper and review the scientific review process.

Read through the attached case study and answer the following questions:

Part I: Question 1 from the bottom of page 2
Part II: Question 3, 4, or 5
Part III: Questions 2 and 10 or Questions 2 and 11 (You must answer Question 2 and can choose 10 or 11)
Part IV: Any one question from choices 3, 4, or 5, and any one question from choices 6, 7, or 8
Part V: Either [1, 2, 3] as a group; you must answer all 3 since they go together as 1 topic or any one question from choices 4, 5, or 6

Make sure you include the parts and question numbers in your post so we know which questions you are answering (i.e. ‘Part II, Question 4’)

Grading criteria:

Initial Post (80 points)

Reply Posts (60 points)

Creates Conversation and Community (30 points)

Terminology, Sources, and Attribution (30 points)

*See the evaluation section of the course syllabus for details on grading for each category**

Case Study Arsenic Week 3.pdf