Genetics: Genetic Technology Flashcards
Test review
What is genetic engineering?
Alteration of organisms genetic/hereditary material eliminating bad characteristics to produce good new ones.
What are the all the genetic technologies?
1: Breeding methods
2: Gene therapy
3: Gene splicing/Recombinant DNA
4: DNA amplification
5: GEL electrophoresis
6: Sequencing DNA
7: Microarray
8: CRISPR-Cas9
What are all the breeding methods?
Artificial selection: (Draught resistant corn)
-Breeding organisms with good traits
Inbreeding: (Breeding dogs)
- Mate closely related individuals
- Reduces variation (increased risk of recessive alleles joining)
Outbreeding: (Mules)
- Mate distantly related individuals
- Increases a population’s variation
Mutations: (Seedless oranges/grapes)
- Farms use naturally occurring mutations to their advantage
What is Gene therapy?
A medical procedure removes body cells with defective genes and a virus (vector) infects cells with normal genes. Cells are then returned to the patient. Potentially cures many genetic based disorders. Attempted to cure hypercholesterolemia.
What is Gene splicing/Recombinant DNA?
DNA from 2 different organisms is joined together. Produces insulin, blood clotting factors, and interferons. Genes that produce these are inserted into bacteria which asexually reproduce. This produces large quantities of the product in short times.
How is recombinant DNA made?
1: Restriction enzymes (endonuclease) cut DNA at specific places (restriction sites).
2: Bacteria’s plasmids are isolated where the same restriction enzymes break them open. They are then placed in a solution with the piece of cut DNA, which attaches to the plasmid’s free ends closing the ring.
3: New recombinant DNA gets added to bacterial culture, and some takes them in.
4: Bacteria reproduces asexually and gets screened to check for any produced the wanted protein. Produces rapidly, in large amounts.
What are the two features of restriction enzymes that makes them important in Gene splicing?
Specificity: Cut the DNA certain places each time
Staggered cuts: Cuts leave sticky ends, meaning other DNA pieces may join
What is DNA amplification?
Making large amounts of DNA from a small sample. May either be done using recombinant DNA technology or a polymerase chain reaction.
How does DNA amplification use recombinant DNA technology?
Wanted genes are inserted into a bacterial plasmid, allowing it to multiply and produce millions of DNA copies. Plasmid acts as a cloning vector (replicates foreign DNA). This is better for larger DNA strands.
How does DNA amplification use polymerase chain reactions?
This is an automated DNA replication method. DNA is placed in a solution of free nucleotides/primers. Strand is separated by heart. Solution is cooled and the primers bind to the strands. DNA polymerase begins the replication process. Repeat.
What is GEL electrophoresis?
Separates molecules by size, mass, and electrical charge. Enables fragments of DNA to separate for analysis. Electrical current is applied across the gel, polarizing it. DNA is cut with restriction enzymes at specific sites and applied to the gel’s negative end. DNA’s negative charge moves it toward the positive end, smaller fragments doing so quicker. After a period, DNA creates a pattern of bands going by size. They may be stained and compared. Analysis is used in crime investigations, paternity cases, and species comparisons.
What is sequencing DNA?
Process involves exact nucleotide sequence of one DNA strand. (Chain termination) Single DNA strand is put in primer/nucleotide rich solution. Some nucleotides have fluorescent markers and can stop replication if they join a strand. One solution is used for each base.
What is a microarray?
A tool for analyzing gene expression. Uses cDNA (copy dna) probes. Compares gene expression during development, compares disease vs. non-disease genes.
What is CRISPR-Cas9? (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)
Genome editing exploiting natural DNA-snipping enzyme in bacteria (Cas9) to target and edit specific genes. The CRISPR system is part of the prokaryotic immune system in the wild, snipping out the genome DNA acquired from foreign sources. This same machinery is used to enable cutting and pasting of genetic material to and from organisms (including humans). Potentially will cure genetic based diseases.
What are some things about the Human Genome Project?
- Determined the 3 billion base pairs that make up the human genome
- 2003
- Determined that 99.9% of all humans’ DNA is identical
- Determined there are 21,000 genes in the human body. Each one produces more than 1 protein (or other factors contribute) as there are 100,000
- Genes are only 1.5% of our DNA
- Publicly available
What are the benefits of the Humane Genome Project?
Understanding our make up and gene functions allows us to learn and better assess risks of developing issues, new disease treatments, creating genetic tailored drugs, understanding relationships among species.
What are problems of the Humane Genome Project?
Who owns the rights to this tech/information? Should a person’s DNA be a private matter? Who should have access and for what purposes? Is it ethical?
What of the Humane Genome Project’s ownership?
Many people argue that genetic information is a natural resourcing belonging to everyone whilst others believe an individual’s genetic information belongs only to this individual. If companies cannot earn profits from their research there is little incentive for them to study genetics. Is there a boundary between public and private property in genetics?
