6 Genetic modification Flashcards
What is a gene?
It is a section of a molecule of DNA that
codes for the production of a protein.
What does the coding strand of the DNA contain?
It contains triplets of bases.
What does each triplet code for?
Each triplet coding for one amino acid.
Why do different genes produce different proteins?
Different genes produce different proteins because each has a unique sequence of bases that codes for a unique sequence of amino acids.
What is an image that shows the role of DNA in protein synthesis?
What are examples for what the proteins that are produced can be?
- An enzyme that controls a particular reaction inside a cell or in the digestive
system. - A structural protein like keratin in hair, collagen in skin or one of the many
proteins found in the membranes of cells. - A protein hormone such as insulin.
- A protein with a specific function such as haemoglobin or an antibody.
What is the basis of genetic engineering?
The production of recombinant DNA.
What is recombinant DNA?
DNA made by genetic engineering,
by combining DNA from two species of organisms.
How is DNA combined from two species of organisms?
A section of DNA – a gene – is cut out of the DNA of one species and inserted into the DNA of another.
Why is this DNA called recombinant?
This is because the DNA from two different organisms has been ‘recombined’.
What is the organism that receives the gene from a different species called?
A transgenic organism.
What is a transgenic organism?
An organism that has been engineered with a gene from another species.
What happens to the organism receiving the new gene?
The organism receiving the new gene now has an added capability.
Why will it have an added capability?
It will manufacture the protein that the new gene codes for.
What is an example of the new organism manufacturing the protein that the new gene coded for?
A bacterium receiving the human gene that codes for insulin production will
make human insulin.
What happens if these transgenic bacteria are cultured by the billion in a fermenter?
They become a factory for making human insulin.
when did the breakthrough in being able to transfer DNA from cell to cell come about?
When it was found that bacteria have two sorts of DNA.
What are the two types of DNA that bacteria have?
The DNA found in their bacterial ‘chromosome’ and much smaller circular pieces of DNA called plasmids.
What is a plasmid?
It is a small circular piece of DNA found in bacteria and used in genetic engineering.
What do bacteria naturally do in terms of plasmids?
Bacteria naturally ‘swap’ plasmids.
What did biologists find out in terms of these plasmids?
Biologists found ways of transferring
plasmids from one bacterium to another.
What were biologists missing?
The next stage was to find molecular
‘scissors’ and a molecular ‘glue’ that could cut out genes from one molecule
of DNA and stick them back into another.
What are the molecular ‘scissors’ in question?
Restriction endonucleases/enzymes.
What are these restriction endonucleases/enzymes?
It is an enzyme used in genetic engineering to cut out a section from a molecule of DNA.