Advanced Molecular Techniques

Question 1

How can DNA be analysed at the nucleotide level?

Answer 1

DNA sequencing, PCR

Question 2

How can DNA be analysed at the gene level?

Answer 2

Southern hybridisation, northern hybridisation, RT-PCR, microarray, DNA fingerprinting

Question 3

How can DNA be analysed at the chromosome level?

Answer 3

Karyotyping, FISH/chromosome painting

Question 4

When do we use reverse transcriptase PCR?

Answer 4

To detect RNA expression (TAQ polymerase does not recognise RNA)

Question 5

What is microarray?

Answer 5

A set of DNA sequences representing the entire set of genes of an organism, arranged in a grid pattern for use in genetic testing.

Question 6

What can microarray tell us eg in cancer cells?

Answer 6

Which genes are switched on/off in cancer cells compared to normal cells

Question 7

What is used as a probe in DNA fingerprinting?

Answer 7

Minisatellite - lots of repeated areas of about 30 bases

Question 8

What can DNA fingerprinting show?

Answer 8

Family relationships

Question 9

What is karyotyping?

Answer 9

Tests to identify and evaluate the size, shape, and number of chromosomes in a sample of body cells

Question 10

What is FISH?

Answer 10

Technique that uses fluorescent probes that bind to only those parts of the chromosome with a high degree of sequence complementarity.