Vectors Can Be Used to Insert DNA Into Other Organisms

Question 1

What is a vector?

Answer 1

Something that used to transfer DNA into a cell

Question 2

What are the two types of vector?

Answer 2

Plasmids

Viruses

Question 3

What are plasmids?

Answer 3

Small, circular molecules of DNA that can be transferred between bacteria

Question 4

What do viruses do?

Answer 4

Insert DNA into the organisms they infect

Question 5

1) what is done to the DNA you want to insert?

Answer 5

It is cut out with a restriction enzyme

Question 6

1) what is the vector DNA cut open using?

Answer 6

The same restriction enzyme

Question 7

2) what happens to the vector DNA and DNA you’re inserting?

Answer 7

They are mixed together with ligase enzymes

Question 8

3) what do the ligases do?

Answer 8

Join the two pieces of DNA together to produce recombinant DNA

Question 9

4) what is the recombinant DNA inserted into?

Answer 9

Other cells

Question 10

5) what can these cell now do?

Answer 10

Use the gene you inserted to make protein you want

Question 11

6) what is an example of this?

Answer 11

Bacteria consisting the gene for human insulin can be grown in huge numbers in a fermenter to produce insulin for people with diabetes

Question 12

What is this the process of?

Answer 12

Genetic engineering

Question 13

Bacteria that contain the gene for human insulin are transgenic. What does this mean?

Answer 13

They contain genes transferred from another species