[18] Bacterial Cloning Flashcards
What is bacterial cloning?
The process of creating identical copies of a bacterium by introducing a piece of foreign DNA into it.
What is the typical host organism used in bacterial cloning?
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Why is E. coli commonly used in bacterial cloning?
It is easy to grow, has a short generation time, and can be easily manipulated genetically.
What is a plasmid in bacterial cloning?
A small, circular piece of DNA that is separate from the chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently.
What is the role of plasmids in bacterial cloning?
Plasmids serve as vectors to carry the foreign DNA into the host bacterium.
What is the process of transformation in bacterial cloning?
The procedure in which plasmid DNA is introduced into a bacterium.
What is the function of a selectable marker in bacterial cloning?
A gene on the plasmid that allows for the identification of bacteria that have been successfully transformed.
What is a common selectable marker used in bacterial cloning?
Antibiotic resistance genes.
How does an antibiotic resistance gene work as a selectable marker?
Bacteria that have been transformed with the plasmid can survive in the presence of the antibiotic, while non-transformed bacteria cannot.
What is a cloning vector?
A DNA molecule used to deliver foreign genetic material into a cell.
What are common cloning vectors used in bacterial cloning?
Plasmids, bacteriophages, and cosmids.
What is a bacteriophage?
A virus that infects bacteria.
What is a cosmid?
A type of plasmid that is packaged into a bacteriophage particle to infect bacteria.
What is a multiple cloning site (MCS)?
A short region of DNA containing multiple restriction enzyme recognition sites that allows for the insertion of foreign DNA.
MCS - Initials
Multiple Cloning Site
What is the importance of the MCS in bacterial cloning?
It allows for the insertion of foreign DNA at a specific site within the plasmid.
What are restriction enzymes and their role in bacterial cloning?
They are enzymes that can cut DNA at specific sequences, used to insert foreign DNA into the plasmid at the MCS.
What is the process of ligation in bacterial cloning?
The process of joining the foreign DNA and the plasmid DNA together using the enzyme DNA ligase.
What is the purpose of bacterial cloning?
It is used to produce large quantities of the foreign DNA or protein, to modify the bacteria for a specific purpose, or for further genetic analysis.
What is a clone in bacterial cloning?
A population of identical cells, each containing the same insert of foreign DNA.
