reverse transcriptase

Question 1

what acts as a template

Answer 1

uses RNA as a template to copy into DNA

Question 2

what is a primer

Answer 2

a short single stranded DNA which is complementary to the beginning of the sequence on mRNA that is to be copied/replicated

Question 3

stages

Answer 3

the primer binds to the start of the insulin mRNA by forming h-bonds with complementary bases

free DNA nucleotides bind to the template mRNA by complementary base pairings

reverse transcriptase joins the nucleotide together by making a phosphodiester bonds between them

first forms an RNA-DNA hybrid molecule - the RNA is lost and reverse transcriptase uses the first DNA strand as a replace to make double stranded DNA

this new DNA is cDNA

Question 4

feature of cDNA

Answer 4

cDNA of an insulin gene is shorter than the actual insulin gene as it does not contain intron sequences

this is important if you want to introduce a eukaryotic gene into a prokaryotic cell