Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering Deck (E3)

Question 1

What is the difference between biotechnology and genetic engineering?

Answer 1

Biotechnology - umbrella term for technological methods used to study and manipulate genes

Genetic engineering - uses biotechnology to modify genes for certain goals

Question 2

List the 3 major goals in genetic engineering.

Answer 2

1) Remove undesirable traits
2) Increase expression of desirable traits
3) Confer new traits

Question 3

What are the 2 primary areas where genetic engineering is most applicable?

Answer 3

1) Agriculture
2) Medicine

Question 4

What are the 3 main applications of recombinant DNA in agriculture?

Answer 4

1) Pest & herbicide resistance
2) Improved nutritional value
3) Increased growth rate

Question 5

What are the 3 main applications of recombinant DNA in medicine?

Answer 5

1) Pharmaceutical proteins
2) Vaccine production
3) Gene therapy

Question 6

Explain how the medical and agricultural benefits of recombinant DNA techniques intersect.

Answer 6

Bacterial and viral proteins can be cloned into produce as a cost-effective method of vaccination

Question 7

What is the function of an expression vector?

Answer 7

To make a plasmid designed for gene expression via 2 or more combined genes originally coded for separate proteins

Question 8

What 2 components are required for expression vectors?

Answer 8

1) Promotor for the transgene
2) Fusion proteins

Question 9

This vessel uses gene transfer vectors to insert, modify, or delete genes via a viral genome incorporated in the host. Common for gene therapy.

Answer 9

What is a lentivector?

Question 10

These efforts involve biocontainment strategies to counteract the accidental release of GMOs into the environment.

Answer 10

What is bioremediation?

Question 11

Why could GMOs be potentially bad for the environment?

Answer 11

They could disrupt the environmental balance

Question 12

What 2 types of organisms are bioremedial solutions to possible GMO leaks into the environment?

Answer 12

Natural & synthetic auxotrophs

Question 13

These enzymes cut DNA into predictable pieces called restriction fragments (RFLPs).

Answer 13

What are restriction endonucleases?

Question 14

What was the earliest use of restriction endonucleases/enzymes?

Answer 14

Cloning sequences into plasmids to produce gene libraries of whole genomes

Question 15

This DNA technique produces over a million-fold amplification of target DNA within hours.

Answer 15

What is PCR?

Question 16

What are the 5 components of PCR?

Answer 16

1) Thermal cycler
2) Template DNA
3) Primers
4) DNA nucleotides
5) Taq polymerase

Question 17

DNA in a gel electrophoresis migrates toward the…

Answer 17

Positively-charged anode

Question 18

Gel electrophoresis separates fragments according to { }, so the { } fragments move along the gel { } and faster.

Answer 18

1) Size
2) Smaller
3) Farther

Question 19

This methodology is used to compare genes of different species, enabling scientists to make phenotypic and genotypic observations without culturing in a lab.

Answer 19

What is bioinformatics?

Question 20

This methodology involves a computer looking for patterns, such as ORFs, to interpret the meaning of a DNA sequence.

Answer 20

What is annotation?

Question 21

Name a free computer program used to analyze DNA.

Answer 21

BLAST

Question 22

This technique allows scientists to study microbial communities IN NATURE without laboratory cultivation.

Answer 22

What is metagenomics?

Question 23

What are the 3 steps in the metagenomics process?

Answer 23

1) Fragmenting DNA
2) Amplifying fragments in clusters
3) Sequencing the clusters