Microorganisms and Decomposition

Question 1

nitrogen cycle

Answer 1

the recycling of nitrogen between living things and the environment by the action of microorganisms

Question 2

forensic science

Answer 2

the application of scientific techniques to the investigation of a crime

Question 3

rigor mortis

Answer 3

temporary muscle contraction causing the body to become rigid after death

Question 4

forensic entomology

Answer 4

the study of insect life relating to crime

Question 5

exons

Answer 5

the coding regions of DNA (the genes)

Question 6

introns

Answer 6

the large, non-coding regions of DNA that are removed before messenger RNA is translated into proteins

Question 7

DNA sequencing/ gene sequencing

Answer 7

the analysis of the individual base sequence along a DNA strand or an individual gene

Question 8

DNA profiling

Answer 8

the identification of repeating patterns in the non-coding regions of DNA

Question 9

polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Answer 9

the process used to amplify a sample of DNA (to make more copies of it very rapidly)

Question 10

amplified

Answer 10

the process by which DNA is replicated repeatedly (using the polymerase chain reaction) to produce a much bigger sample

Question 11

micro-satellite

Answer 11

a section of DNA with a 2-6 base sequence repeated 5 to 100 times

Question 12

mini-satellite

Answer 12

a section of DNA with a 10-100 base sequence repeated 50 to several hundred times

Question 13

restriction endonucleases

Answer 13

enzymes used to cut up strands of DNA at particular points in the intron sequences

Question 14

recognition site

Answer 14

specific base sequences where restriction endonucleases cut the DNA molecule

Question 15

short tandem repeats

Answer 15

micro-satellite regions that are widely used in DNA identification of suspects; statistically, the chance of two people matching on 11 or more sites is so small that it is considered to be reliable evidence in court