Chapter 7: Biotechnology Flashcards
biotechnology
the utilization of organisms and their components to perform functional tasks in research and make products that are useful to humans
plasmid
a small piece of extrachromosomal DNA found in prokaryotes
pilus
a structure in certain bacteria that allows for the transfer of DNA during bacterial conjugation
antibiotic
a substance produced by a fungus that is able to kill bacteria
plasmid vectors
mechanisms which carry genes contained in plasmids from one place to another
restriction enzyme (restriction endonuclease)
an enzyme that bacteria make to cut foreign DNA (hint: inside, “endo” the nucleus)
ligase
an enzyme that joins DNA segments together, forming a single DNA strand
probe
a single-stranded, synthesized segment of radioactively labelled DNA or RNA that is used to find a gene of interest (because it is complementary to the sequence of the gene of interest)
DNA hybridization
hydrogen bonding between two strands of DNA due to complementary base pairing
reverse transcriptase
an enzyme that makes DNA from RNA
intron
a noncoding sequence found in a gene
electrophoresis
the separation of molecules based on their rate of movement through a gel under an electric field
ddNTP
dideoxiribonucleotides, where N is one of the four nitrogenous bases
polymorphic DNA
two homologous pieces of DNA have different restriction fragments after exposure to a restriction enzyme
VNTRs (variable number tandem repeats)
repeating sequences of DNA that vary in their number of repeating units between individuals
antennapedia
a gene that, when mutated, causes the growth of legs when antennae should be
gene map
a listing of genes present on a plasmid or chromosome and their relative locaions
genomic DNA
the DNA making up the entire genome of an organism
gene
a unit of heredity
polygenic
caused by several genes
alternative splicing
combining genes from a single strand of DNA in different combinations can result in different proteins
transcription
the process in which DNA is deciphered to yield RNA
expanded complexity
additions of DNA sequence to existing genes
transcription factors
______ control which genes are expressed and when
compounding
the increasing complexity at an exponential rate as the protein products of genes are combined in different ways
Type I restriction endonuclease
makes simple cuts on both DNA strands
Type II restriction endonuclease
makes staggered cuts where sequences are the same on both sides
dyad symmetry
where the sequences of two DNA strands are the same on both sides
multiple cloning site (MCS)
the region in a plasmid where DNA is inserted
phages
viruses that infect bacterial cells
chimera
a new genome that is nonexistent in nature
4-I
the initial stage of screening, which involves getting rid of cells without vectors, or without original DNA, using a vector with a gene for antibiotic resistance, and is based on the presence or absence of a certain phenotype
4-II
the second stage of screening, which involves finding the gene of interest, using hybridization to find a particular fragment, and then denaturing DNA, allowing the radioactive probe to attach
Ti plasmids
tumor-inducing plasmids
