3.8.4 Gene Technologies Allow the Study and Alteration of Gene Function Allowing a Better Understanding of Organism Function and the Design of New Industrial and Medical Processes

Question 1

What is meant by recombinant DNA technology?

Answer 1

The transfer of DNA fragments from one organism to another.

Question 2

Why does recombinant DNA technology work?

Answer 2

Because the genetic code is universal and therefore transcription and translation occur by the same mechanism and result in the same amino acid sequence across organisms.

Question 3

Summarise the process of using reverse transcriptase to produce DNA fragments.

Answer 3

mRNA complementary to the target gene is used as a template. It is mixed with free nucleotides which match up to their base pairs, and reverse transcriptase which forms the sugar-phosphate backbone, to create cDNA (complementary DNA).

Question 4

Summarise the process of using enzymes to produce DNA fragments.

Answer 4

Restriction endonucleases (RE) cut DNA at specific sequences. Different REs cut at different points but one RE will always cut at the same sequence. Therefore using particular REs allows you to cut out a certain gene of interest.