Final: Chapter 10- Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology Flashcards
What is genetic engineering?
The manipulation of DNA and RNA
What happens to DNA when it is heated to approximately 94 degrees Celsius? What happens when the temp is lowered?
The DNA gets unzipped when it gets heated up, and it seals itself back up when the temp is lowered.
What are restriction endonucleases and where were they originally isolated?
Restriction endonucleases= a set of enzymes which make cuts in strands of DNA
They were originally isolated from bacteria and archaea.
What are the function of ligases?
They seal the sticky ends of DNA produced by restriction endonucleases
What does the enzyme reverse transcriptase do?
Converts RNA to DNA
What is the overall purpose/function of Gel Electrophoresis technique?
To separate DNA based on size
What is a gene probe and how can they be used in medical diagnostics?
Gene probes are a short stretch of known sequence that will base-pair with complementary sequences. They can be used to analyze a persons DNA for diseases like breast cancer.
What is Flouorescent in situ hybridization?
A technique that applies gene probes to intact cells
What is PCR and why is it often referred to as a “molecular copy machine”?
Polymerase Chain Reaction
PCR makes it possible to replicate a target DNA molecule from a few copies to billions of copies in a few hours
What is recombinant DNA technology?
It is a technique used to deliberately remove genetic material from one organism and combine it with that of a different organism
