Chapter 20

Question 1

Biotechnology

Answer 1

Alteration of organisms, cells or biological molecules by genetic engineering to achieve specific goals

Recombinant DNA technology

Combining two or more different strands of DNA to create a new strand of DNA.
The most common recombinant process involves combining the DNA of two different organisms
Transgenic Organisms or GMOs

Question 2

How does DNA recombine in Nature

Answer 2

Sexual reproduction recombines DNA

Viruses may transfer DNA between species

Transformation may combine DNA from different bacterial species

Question 3

plasmids

Answer 3

molecules of DNA found in bacteria (separate from bacterial chromosome).

Plasmids are released to the environment when the bacteria dies.

Plasmids are: 
small (a few thousand base pairs) 
usually carrying only one or a few genes 
circular 
have a single origin of replication

Question 4

cloning

Answer 4

Producing many identical copies of the same recombinant molecule

Question 5

polymerase chain reaction

Answer 5

produces unlimited amounts of selected
pieces of DNA

Requires DNA polymerase, primers specific to the
DNA segment, nucleotides
Consists of a 3 step cycle of heating & cooling

1. Denaturation of DNA strands
2. Annealing of primers
3. New DNA synthesis

Cycle is repeated 30 to 40 times