Chapter 21: Manipulating genomes Flashcards
What is agarose gel?
Gel used in electrophoresis for separating nucleic acids. It is made of agarose sugar.
What is annealing?
Where two complimentary DNA strands join through the formation of H bonds.
What is bioinformatics?
The development of software and computer tools needed to store analyse and organise large quantities of raw biological data.
What is computational biology?
The study of biology using computational techniques to analyse large amounts of data.
What is ddNTP?
A modified DNA nucleotide used in science sequencing that has no 2’ or 3’ of each group. Once incorporated in a DNA strand, no more nucleotides can be added.
What is southern blotting?
A technique used to identify specific DNA sequences in fragments separated by electrophoresis.
What is a sticky end?
Exposed unpaired nucleotide bases on the ends of cut DNA that have been cleaved by a staggered cut by restriction enzyme.
What is synthetic biology?
The design and construction of novel biological pathways, organisms or devices, or the redesign of existing natural biological systems.
What is a vector?
A means of inserting DNA from one organism into the cells of another organism. E.g. plasmids, viruses.
What is DNA ligase?
An enzyme that catalyse is the formation of phosphodiester bonds between the sugar and phosphate groups of adjacent DNA nucleotides.
What is a DNA probe?
Short DNA or RNA sequences complimentary to an own DNA sequence. The probe may be labelled with a radioactive marker or a fluorescent marker.
What is DNA profiling/fingerprinting?
Producing an image of the patterns in the non-coding DNA of an individual.
What is DNA sequencing?
Working out the sequence of bases in a strand of DNA.
What is Electrophoresis?
A type of chromatography that relies on the way charge particles me through a gel under the influence of an electric current. It is used to separate nucleic acid fragments or proteins by sizes.
What is electrofusion?
Application of an electric field to recipient cell to make it more receptive to the vector carrying a novel gene.
What is electroporation?
The use of a very tiny electric current to transfer genetically engineered plasmids into bacteria or to get DNA fragments directly into eukaryotic cells.
What is germline gene therapy?
Inserting a healthy allele into the germ cells (gametes) or into a very early embryo.
What is a Microarray?
A high-throughput method of using surface with fixed DNA probes to detect specific DNA sequences in the DNA being studied.
What is high-throughput sequencing?
New methods of sequencing that are automated, very rapid and much cheaper than original techniques.
What is a microsatelite/STR?
A small non-coding regions of DNA containing a sequence of 2-4 bases repeated 5-15 times. Also known as a short tandem repeat (STR). Used in DNA profiling as each individual has the same STRs at the same loci but with a different number of repeats.
What is a minisatelite/VNTR?
A non-coding regions of DNA containing a sequence of 20-50 base pairs repeated many times. Also known as a variable number tandem repeat (VMTR).
What is a plasmid?
A small loop of DNA found in bacterial cells. Often used as a vector in genetic modification.
What is a polymerase chain reaction/PCR?
A process by which a small sample of DNA can be amplified using specific enzymes and temperature changes.
What is a primer?
Short (10-20bp) single-stranded sequences of DNA needed sequencing reactions and PCR.
What is recombinant DNA?
New combination of alleles/DNA from two sources.
What is replica plating?
A technique used in genetic engineering to identify colonies of transformed bacteria on a petri dish using a selective medium.
What is a restriction enzyme?
Endonucleases enzymes that cleave DNA at specific recognition sites.