18: Biotechnology Flashcards
Module 4, Lesson 1
Selective breeding is a type of…
Genetic manipulation
Selective breeding is also often called…
Artificial selection
____ uses controlled mating to produce an organism with the desired characteristics.
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is a ____ process.
Long-term
True or false:
Selective breeding only ever results in the selection of desirable traits.
False
It can often result in undesirable or harmful traits being accidentally selected.
Selective breeding typically results in a(n) ____ of overall genetic diversity in the species.
Decrease
True or false:
Selective breeding increases an organism’s vulnerability to disease.
True
The process of modifying an organism’s DNA using technology is called…
Gene editing
List three different variations of gene editing.
- Taking genes from one organism and inserting them into another
- Removing sections of DNA
- Editing individual DNA base pairs
List two examples of gene editing.
- Molecular cloning
- CRISPR/Cas9 system
List three benefits of gene editing compared to selective breeding.
- Much faster and more targeted
- Genes from one species can be inserted into another
- Helps prevent loss of genetic diversity
Lab-made molecules that are not naturally found in an organism are called…
Recombinant molecules
Many gene editing techniques use naturally-occuring…
Enzymes
____ are used in gene editing to cut DNA at specific locations.
Restriction enzymes/endonucleases
____ are a category of enzymes capable of cutting phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides.
Nucleases
Restriction enzymes are naturally a key component of…
Bacterial resistance to viruses
Which two components of DNA synthesis are often used in gene editing?
- DNA ligase
- DNA polymerase
During gene editing, DNA ligase is used to…
Seal the gaps between the original DNA and the inserted DNA segment
During gene editing, especially PCR, DNA polymerase is used to…
Amplify a sample of DNA
List the four basic steps of molecular cloning.
- Amplify DNA
- Cut out DNA
- Isolate cut DNA
- Insert DNA into new organism
Why is GFP, a gene for bioluminescent protein, useful for researchers?
It can be used to track movement of proteins in a living cell
The first step of molecular cloning, where the gene of interest is amplified, is…
Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR)
PCR takes place in a machine called a…
Thermocycler
List the three main steps of PCR.
- Denaturation
- Annealing
- Synthesis/Extension
PCR is a technique used to…
Amplify a gene of interest
During the denaturation phase of PCR…
DNA is unwound using extreme heat
True or false:
Unlike in a cell, during PCR all strands of DNA are unwound at once.
True
During the annealing phase of PCR…
The temperature is lowered so the primers can bind to the DNA
True or false:
The primers used in PCR only amplify the area of interest.
True
During the extension phase of PCR…
The DNA is elongated by DNA polymerase
The specific DNA polymerase used in PCR is called…
Taq polymerase
True or false:
Taq polymerase is sourced from human cells.
False
It comes from a thermophilic bacteria, so it doesn’t denature at high temperatures
By repeating PCR many times, it is possible to make ____ of copies of a single DNA fragment.
Millions
Restriction enzymes are a special class of…
Endonucleases