U3 Homronal disruptions: Recombinant DNA technologies

Question 1

Recombinant DNA technology

Answer 1

• Involves DNA being added or removed from a cell
• The DNA produced is called recombinant DNA
• The organism produced is a genetically modified organism (GMO)
• Recombinant DNA technology involves interesting a human gene into the genetic material of a harmless bacterium to produce proteins and replace faulty genes

Question 2

Identifying and isolating a gene for a desired trait

Answer 2

• Viruses that can infect bacterial cells are called bacteriophages
• Certain enzyme sin bacteria (restriction enzymes) can restrict the duplication of bacteriophages by cutting up the viral DNA
• Restriction enzymes always cut the DNA at a point with a certain sequence of bases (the recognition site/sequence)

Two types of cuts by restriction enzymes:

• Straight cut: restriction enzyme makes a clean break across the two strands of DNA to produce a blunt end where both strands terminate in a base pair
• Staggered get: restriction enzyme makes a cut where the two strands of DNA have unpaired nucleotides that overhand and break in the strands, resulting in fragments with sticky ends

Question 3

DNA ligase

Answer 3

• An enzyme that glues together short strands of DNA during DNA replication
• Works by joining the phosphate group at the end of one strand to the sugar molecule at the end of another stand