chapter 9: biotechnology & DNA technology

Question 1

biotechnology

Answer 1

use of microorganisms, cells, or cell components to make a product

Question 2

site-directed mutagenesis

Answer 2

targeted and specific change to DNA sequence in a gene

Question 3

selection (tool of biotech)

Answer 3

selecting for a naturally occurring microbe that produces a desired result

Question 4

mutation (tool of biotech)

Answer 4

mutagens cause mutations that might result in a microbe with a desirable trait

Question 5

restriction enzymes

Answer 5

protein that recognizes a short nucleotide sequence and cuts DNA only at that specific site; destroy viral DNA (bacteriophage) in bacterial cells; methylate their own DNA to protect from digestion; blunt ends cut creates sticky ends; longer sequence = less cuts

Question 6

vector (rDNA tech)

Answer 6

something that carries a gene; carry new DNA to desired cells
ex) plasmid or virus

Question 7

gel electrophoresis

Answer 7

technique used to separate DNA according to its length

Question 8

polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Answer 8

uses cell’s natural ability to copy DNA; put DNA replicating substances with DNA primers

• primers tell which DNA is getting copied
• DNA polymerase actually copies DNA

Question 9

recombinant DNA (rDNA)

Answer 9

DNA that has been formed artificially by combining constituents from different organisms
- introns have to be edited out first when using rDNA from eukaryotes to prokaryotes; complementary (cDNA) is needed in this process

Question 10

colony hybridization

Answer 10

the method for the isolation of the specific DNA sequences or genes from the bacterial cells containing hybrid DNA

Question 11

southern blotting

Answer 11

DNA probes detect specific DNA in fragments (RFLPs) separated by gel electrophoresis

Question 12

gene silencing

Answer 12

small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) bind to mRNA and are destroyed by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)
- special double stranded RNA silence the expression of genes with matching sequences

Question 13

gene fingerprinting

Answer 13

uses restriction enzymes to cut DNA into restriction fragments then uses gel electrophoresis to separate fragments
ex) used in paternity tests, crime scene investigation, comparing microbes

Question 14

agrobacterium tumefaciens (as a biotech tool)

Answer 14

conjugates with any cell (punches pilus into any cell - including eukaryotes) and sends plasmid into cell

Question 15

DNA sequencing

Answer 15

lab technique used to determine exact sequence of bases (A,T,C,G) in a DNA molecule

Question 16

gene editing

Answer 16

makes targeted alterations on human genome

ex) CRISPR being used in vivo (in living cells)

Question 17

genome

Answer 17

the genetic material of an organism; consists of DNA; includes both genes and noncoding DNA
- the study of genomes = genomics

Question 18

human genome project (HGP)

Answer 18

scientific research project with the goals of determining the base pairs that make up human DNA and identifying all of the genes of the human genome

Question 19

gene

Answer 19

sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that encodes the synthesis of a gene product (RNA or protein)