Week 7: Model Organisms Flashcards
Organisms (non-human species) used for the study of biological processes.
Model Organism
Show facts or principles that are relevant to an entire domain of life.
Model Organism
Characteristics of model organisms?
- small for easy storage
- have short generation time
- easy to work with in large numbers
- cheap to maintain
- produce many offspring
Used to study genome of human diseases.
Model Organism
It is the classical model of molecular biology.
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli divides every?
20 minutes
Why does E. coli have an easy storage?
Because it is only placed in a petri dish
It is used to study transcription, translation, recombination, DNA repair and gene regulation
Prokaryotes (Bacteria)
Prokaryotes (Bacteria) is used to study?
- transcription
- translation
- recombination
- DNA repair
- gene regulation
It was the first eukaryote genome to be fully sequenced.
Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
Scientific name of Baker’s yeast?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
General term for Saccharomyces cerevisiae?
Baker’s yeast
Yeast is a type of?
Fungi
Yeasts are useful organisms for the study of?
basic eukaryotic phenomena
Chief limitation of yeast?
lack of distinct tissues
Caenorhabditis elegans was chosen as a model organism for its?
- simplicity and experimental tractability
- initial interest in the development of the nervous system
First multicellular organism with its complete genome sequenced.
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans is a?
non-parasitic nematode (roundworm)
_________ have led to the molecular identification of many genes in developmental and cell biological processes.
Forward and reverse genetics
Genetics wherein the phenotype is figured first then we look for the gene responsible after.
Forward genetics
Genetics wherein the gene is discovered first before its function.
Reverse genetics
A technique for reverse genetics in which silencing the gene is performed.
Gene knockout/gene knockdown
It is transparent so individual cells are easily visualized.
Caenorhabditis elegans
It is a model used to study several human diseases.
Drosophila melanogaster
Scientific name of the fruit fly?
Drosophila melanogaster
General term of Drosophila melanogaster?
Fruit Fly
Extensively used in biomedical research.
Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly)
Mutant genes identified in the _______ that produce abnormalities of the nervous system have been found to have human counterparts.
fruit fly
Utilized for the transfer of mutant human disease genes using recombinant DNA technology.
Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly)