UNIT 10 - Putting it all Together

Question 1

How has sequencing changed research in biochemistry and other disciplines in science?

Answer 1

Sequencing has changed research in biochemistry and other disciplines because entire genome sequences of many organisms are now available that can allow researchers to identify, study, clone and compare many different genes in an organism and also understand how they all interact or respond to a number of conditions. Huge databases have been developed to handle the massive amounts of data generated. The old methods of studying individual reactions have moved to studying cellular biochemistry in its entirety.

Question 2

Define the following terms:
genomics
proteonomics
metabolomics
transcriptomics

Answer 2

Genomics is the study of the DNA in the cell.
Proteonomics is the study of all the proteins in the cell.
Metabolomics is the study of all the metabolic reactions in the cell.
Transcriptomics is the study of all the transcription products in the cell.

Question 3

What role does computing play in advancing knowledge in biochemistry?

Answer 3

Computing is important in advancing knowledge in biochemistry because it allows the storage and analysis of large amounts of data that is generated in these cell‑wide approaches. It also allows comparisons between organisms or systems. It also allows researchers to model or predict outcomes based on data previously generated. This is the goal of systems biology.

Question 4

Name two applications of systems biology.

Answer 4

1) understanding how antibiotics work and
2) developing more effective vaccines.

Question 5

What is synthetic biology?

Answer 5

Synthetic biology is when the knowledge gained is used to engineer novel biological systems and pathways. Entire genomes may be made synthetically and used to program cells or organisms.