Skills

Question 1

Explain the “Google Effect” and how it can diminish creativity.

Answer 1

The tendency to forget information that can be found readily online by using Internet search engines such as Google. According to the first study about the Google effect people are less likely to remember certain details they believe will be accessible online.

Question 2

Explain the basic biochemistry of ethanolic fermentation.

Answer 2

Question 3

Explain the hypothesis of chromatography

Answer 3

The paper which was cellulose in the experiment was polar while the solvent was nonpolar. The pigment that travelled the smallest distance was the most polar because they were attracted to the paper and not very soluble in the solvent, while the pigment that travelled the greatest distance dissolved well in the solvent.

Question 4

Describe the role of restriction enzymes in DNA technology.

Answer 4

• Recognizes very specific DNA sequences (4-8 bases long)
• Binds to DNA and breaks phosphate bonds to create 3’ overhangs, 5’ overhangs, or blunt ends
• Additional DNA fragments can be inserted into the cut DNA strand
• Can be used to generate a restriction map

Question 5

Describe the basic mechanisms of electroporation and electrophoresis

Answer 5

• Separates DNA fragments of various sizes from one another
• Place all the DNA fragments on an agarose gel and run an electric current through the gel
• The negatively-charged DNA fragments migrate towards the positive electrode
• Smaller fragments move faster through the gel

Question 6

Restriction map puzzles

Answer 6

• Begin with the single nuclease that has the most cuts
• Then do the paired one
• Then confirm with the other nuclease

Question 7

Transformation efficiency:

Units:

Answer 7

Transformation efficiency: = (# of colonies x final volume)/(μg of plasmid x volume plated)

Units: (CFU/μg)

Question 8

Rf is a proportion. Length of paper is irrelevant.