Ch 10 Flashcards
What is recombinant DNA?
DNA in which one or more segments or genes have been inserted, either naturally or by laboratory manipulation, from a different molecule or from another part of the same molecule, resulting in a new genetic combination
What is biotechnology?
The use of living organisms or other biological systems in the manufacture of drugs or other products or for environmental management, as in waste recycling: includes the use of bio reactors in manufacturing, microorganisms to degrade oil slicks or organic waste, genetically engineered bacteria to produce human hormones, and monoclonal antibodies to identify antigens
What is genetic engineering?
The development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population
What are gene probes?
A short stretch of DNA of a known sequence that will base-pair with a stretch of DNA with a complementary stretch of DNA if it exists in a sample
What is the process of gel electrophoresis?
- Samples of DNA are placed in compartments in a soft agar gel and subjected to an electrical current
- The negative charge on the phosphate groups cause the DNA to move toward the positive pole on the gel
- The rate of movement of DNA through the gel is based on the size of the fragments
What is the function of gel electrophoresis?
- useful in characterizing DNA fragments
- allow for comparison of genetic similarities among samples in a genetic fingerprint
What are palindromes?
A segment of double-stranded DNA in which the nucleotide sequence of one strand reads in reverse order to that of the complementary strand.
Know the function of restriction endonucleases
- clip DNA crosswise at selected positions
- recognize foreign DNA
- capable of breaking the phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides on both strands of DNA
- protect bacteria and archaea from bacteriophage or plasmids
What is the advantage of bacteria producing restriction endonucleases?
Restriction enzymes are the bacteria’s form of an ‘immune system’ against viruses (which can infect bacteria).
When viruses try to insert their own DNA into a bacteria’s genome, the restriction enzymes detect this foreign DNA and cut it out so that the viruses can’t replicate and kill the cell.
What is the function of reverse transcriptase?
- replicate HIV and other retroviruses
- able to convert RNA into DNA
What is the function of reverse ligase?
- necessary to seal sticky ends together by rejoining the phosphate-sugar bonds cut by endonucleases
- main application is final splicing of genes into plasmids and chromosomes
Know the process and function of PCR (include primers, enzymes used, and temps).
- utilizes a thermal cycler that automatically performs the cyclic temperature changes
- three basic steps:
- Denaturation
- Priming
- Extension
- DNA polymerase used
Given two DS fragments of DNA, determine how many would be present after 5 PCR cycles.
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What is transformation?
transformation is the genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct incorporation of exogenous genetic material from its surroundings through the cell membran
How is the size of a strand of DNA usually given?
The relative sizes of Nucleic acids are denoted by the number of base pairs (bp) they contain
Example: an average gene in E. coli is 1,300 bp or 1.3 kilo bases