Unit 4 - Lesson 14: Genetic Engineering Flashcards
What is an organism with genes from a different species called?
Transgenic.
What is a transgenic organism?
An organism with genes from a different species.
What do restriction endonucleases (commonly known as restriction enzymes) do?
Restriction endonucleases cut out the section of DNA (gene) we’re interested in.
What type of enzyme do we use to join together different sections of DNA?
Different sections of DNA can be joined together using ligase enzymes.
What do we call it when two pieces of DNA are joined together with ligase enzymes?
When two pieces of DNA are jointed together with ligase enzymes, we call the strand recombinant DNA.
What is a strand that’s recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA (rDNA) are when two pieces of DNA are joined together with ligase enzymes.
Restriction enzymes can cut straight through the DNA. What do we call the new ends?
Blunt ends.
Alternatively, restriction enzymes will make a staggered cut. What do we call these new ends?
Sticky ends.
Do the ligase enzymes find it easier to join sticky ends or blunt ends?
Sticky ends.
What do we use to insert the DNA into a new organism?
Vectors.
What are the two types of vectors?
Bacterial plasmids & Bacteriophages.
What do bacteria have instead of nuclei?
A circular chromosome of DNA and extra loops of DNA called plasmids.
What does bacteria exchange between themselves all the time?
Plasmids.
How do bacteria reproduce?
Bacteria reproduce asexually via mitosis.
How are bacteria able to swap genetic material?
They’re able to swap genetic material via their plasmids in a process called bacterial recombination. This is the basis of how bacteria become antibiotic resistant.
What is bacterial recombination?
This is achieved by cutting open the plasmid with restriction enzymes and joining the plasmid and insulin gene with ligase enzymes. The plasmid is now recombinant DNA (it’s made of at least two different pieces joined).
