Chapter 17: Biotechnology and Genomics Flashcards
What is recombinant DNA technology? Provide an example of its application.
Recombinant DNA technology involves combining DNA from different organisms into a single molecule.
Example: Inserting the human insulin gene into bacterial plasmids to produce insulin.
How does CRISPR-Cas9 work in gene editing?
CRISPR-Cas9 uses a guide RNA to target specific DNA sequences. The Cas9 enzyme cuts the DNA, enabling gene knockout, repair, or insertion of new sequences.
What is PCR, and why is it essential in biotechnology?
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplifies specific DNA segments. It is critical for cloning, forensic analysis, and diagnosing genetic diseases.
Differentiate between genetic linkage maps and physical maps.
Genetic linkage maps show gene order based on recombination frequencies. Physical maps use molecular techniques (e.g., restriction enzymes) to locate genes on chromosomes.
What role do SNPs play in genome mapping?
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are DNA sequence variations used as markers to identify disease-associated genes or study evolutionary relationships.
Compare Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Sanger sequencing is low-throughput and uses chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides. NGS is high-throughput and allows parallel sequencing of millions of DNA fragments (e.g., Illumina).
What is metagenomics?
Metagenomics sequences DNA from environmental samples (e.g., soil or gut microbiota) to study microbial communities without culturing them.
How does pharmacogenomics improve drug therapy?
Pharmacogenomics tailors treatments based on a patient’s genetic makeup.
Example: Testing for CYP2C19 variants to adjust clopidogrel dosage.
What is synthetic biology?
Synthetic biology designs and constructs new biological systems (e.g., artificial genomes) for applications like biofuel production or disease detection.
How does proteomics complement genomics?
Proteomics studies protein expression, modifications, and interactions, revealing functional insights that genomic data alone cannot provide.
Name a technique used in proteomics and its purpose.
Mass spectrometry identifies proteins by analyzing their mass-to-charge ratio, aiding in disease biomarker discovery.
What are key ethical concerns in human gene editing?
Concerns include unintended off-target effects, germline modifications affecting future generations, and equity in access to therapies.
Why is GMO regulation controversial?
Debates focus on environmental risks (e.g., cross-pollination), food safety, and corporate control of genetically modified seeds.
How was genomics used in the Human Genome Project?
The project sequenced the entire human genome using Sanger and later NGS, enabling advances in medicine, anthropology, and personalized healthcare.
Describe a biotech application in agriculture.
Golden Rice is genetically modified to produce beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor), addressing malnutrition in developing regions.
What is bioinformatics, and how is it used?
Bioinformatics uses computational tools to analyze genomic data (e.g., sequence alignment, predicting gene function).
Explain the purpose of a vector in gene cloning.
Vectors (e.g., plasmids) carry foreign DNA into host cells for replication.
Example: pUC19 plasmid with antibiotic resistance markers.
What is the potential of CRISPR in treating genetic disorders?
CRISPR could cure diseases like sickle cell anemia by correcting mutations in hematopoietic stem cells.
How might AI impact genomics research?
AI accelerates data analysis (e.g., predicting protein structures with AlphaFold) and identifies patterns in large genomic datasets.
