module 6: manipulating genomes

Question 1

what techniques are used to study genes

Answer 1

polymerase chain reaction- PCR
electrophoresis
cutting DNA fragments using restriction enzymes

Question 2

PCR

Answer 2

dna mixture heated to 95 degrees to break hydrogen bonds between strands
cooled to 55 degrees so primers can bind to strands
heated to 72 degrees for optimum temp for DNA polymerase
DNA polymerase lines up free DNA nucleotides alongside template strands through complementary base pairing
two new copies formed

Question 3

step one of electrophoresis

Answer 3

add set agarose gel tray with wells on one side to tank
end of gel tray with wells closest to negative electrode
add buffer solution to tank so surface of gel is covered

Question 4

step 2 of electrophoresis

Answer 4

dna sampels loaded into wells using micropipette with dye

Question 5

step 3 of electrophoresis

Answer 5

electrophoresis carried out
lid put on tank and connect to power supply
electrical current passed through gel
dna fragments negatively charged so move towards positive anode
dna fragments sperate accordino to size
let run for 30 mins and remove gel box tipping off excess buffer
stain dna fragments and rinse with water to make fragments visible

Question 6

what is genetic engineering

Answer 6

manipulation of an organisms DNA
transformed organisms created who have recombinant dna
genes can be extracted from an organism or manufactured

Question 7

genetic engineering stage 1

Answer 7

desired dna fragment isolated using restriction enzymes

Question 8

genetic engineering stage 2

Answer 8

dna fragment inserted into a vector they can be plasmids or bacteriophages
vector Dan cut open using restriction enzymes so sticky ends of vector are complementary to stick ends of DNA fragment
vector and fragment mixed with DNA ligase with joins phosphate backbones
results in recombinant bacteria

Question 9

genetic engineering step 3

Answer 9

vector transfers gene to bacteria
in a bacteriophage vector, it will infect bacterium by injecting its DNA
is plasmid vector used electroporation increases permeability of bacteria cell membranes to take in plasmids using electrical field

Question 10

what can genetic engineering be used for

Answer 10

to create insect restraint plants and increase crop yield
produce drugs from animals
used on pathogens for research
gm organisms can be owned by big companies

Question 11

what is gene therapy used for

Answer 11

to cure genetic disorders

Question 12

how are restriction enzymes used to cut DNA

Answer 12

they cut DNA fragments
dna incutbabted with enzyme to cute fragment via hydrolysis
cut leaves sticky ends that can bind with other DNA fragments with complementary sequences

Question 13

what is DNA profiling used for

Answer 13

forensic science- compare cime scene dna to uspoect dna
medical diagnosing- unique patterns of several alleles
analyse risk of disorder

Question 14

positives of gene therapy

Answer 14

prolongs life of people with genetic disorders and gives better quality of life
conceiving without risk of passing on disorder
decrease number of people who suffer with genetic disorders

Question 15

negatives of gene therapy

Answer 15

tech could be used in ways other than medical such as cosmetic
potential to do more harm than good
expensive
may be short term
multiple treatments
could start an immune response

Question 16

what does synthetic bio include

Answer 16

building biological systems from artificial molecules
redesigning bio systems to perform better and include new molecules
designing new molecules that don’t exist but could be useful

Question 17

why do we sequence and compare genes and genomes

Answer 17

to study genotype-phenotype relationships- can predict phenotype from genotype
to study health and disease in a population to detect mutations responsible
to understand evolutionary relationships