chap 3- glossary Flashcards
Agarose Gel
a gel matrix use for electrophoresis
Annealing
a process sed in the polymerase chain reaction to join separate strands of DNA together as a result of hydrogen bonds pairing; occurs when the temp is lowered
Antibiotic Selection
growing bacteria in the presence of an antibiotic so only cells containing a gene for antibiotic resistance (encoded on a recombinant plasmid) can grow.
Bacteriophage
a virus that can infect bacteria and replicate
Bioethics
the study of ethical issues emerging from advancements in biology
Biotechnology
the use of living organisms and biological systems and processes for human benefits
Blunt End
the end of a DNA fragment that is created following cleavage by a restriction enzyme that cuts DNA at the same position on both strands
Cas9 Protein
an endonuclease that cuts double-stranded DNA at a target location in the genome
CRISPR-Cas9
a bacterial immune defence mechanism in which short RNAs target complementary sequences in viral genomes to guide Cas9 proteins to destroy an invading virus
crRNA (CRISPR RNA)
RNA transcribed from the CRISPR locus: guides Cas9 proteins to their complementary sequence in the invading viral DNA genome, targeting it for destruction by Cas9
DNA ligase
an enzyme that catalyses the formation of a phosphodiester bond between two pieces of DNA.
DNA profiling
comparison of individuals based on patterns of non-coding base sequences in the genome
DNA sequencing
the process of establishing the nucleotide sequence of a piece of DNA
Frameshift Mutation
a mutation in DNA caused by the addition or deletion of a nucleotide or nucleotides resulting in a change in the amino acid sequence and protein being made
Gel Electrophoresis
a technique that separates the DNA fragments according to their size and charge
Gene Cloning
the process of using plasmids and bacteria to make numerous identical copies of a gene
Genetic Engineering
manipulation of genetic material, including altering DNA in an organism to suppress or enhance a genes activity, or combining genetic material from different species
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
an organism whose genome has been genetically engineered
Guide RNA
RNA that guides the Cas9 protein to the target sequence in a genome for gene editing
Knock-in organisms
an organism in which DNA has been inserted into a specific locus
Knock-out organism
an organism whose DNA has been modified to disable the expression or function of a gene product.
Molecular size marker
a set of pieces of DNA of known length that is used to estimate the size of other DNA fragments in a gel
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
a cyclical reaction in which DNA polymerase is used to copy a DNA template, making millions of copies of the same piece of DNA
Polymorphism
a variation in DNA sequences among individuals
Primer
a single-stranded DNA molecule that acts as the start of the amplification process
Recombinant DNA Technology
the process of transferring a gene from a cell of one species to the cell of a different species
Reporter Gene
a gene that enables visualisation or quantification of gene expression
Restriction Digest Reaction
a reaction in which restriction enzymes are incubated with DNA to cut the DNA into fragments at specific restriction sites
Recombinant Plasmid
a plasmid with foreign DNA inserted into it
Reporter gene
a gene that enables visualizations or quantification of gene expression
Restriction Digest Reaction
a reaction in which restriction enzymes are incubated with DNA to cut the DNA into fragments at specific restriction sites.
Restriction Endonuclease
an enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific restriction site
Restriction Fragment
a short fragment of DNA generated after the cutting of a longer DNA fragment by a restriction enzyme
Restriction Site
a specific nucleotide sequence (usually 4-8 bp) that is recognised as a cleaving site for a restriction enzyme
Short Tandem Repeat (STR)
a short non-coding region of DNA of up to five bases that is repeated many times in the genome of an organism; the number of times an STR is repeated is variable and can be used in DNA profiling
Sticky End
the end of a DNA fragment that is created following cleavage by a restriction enzyme that cuts DNA at different positions on each strand
Transformation
the proves by which the genetic material of an organism is changed by the addition f new genetic material
Transgenic Organism
an organism that has been modified by incorporating a piece of foreign DNA into its genome
Vector
a vehicle used to transfer DNA sequences from one organism to another
Wild Type
the genotype or phenotype that is most common, or standard, in natural conditions, in contrast to an atypical or mutant form
