UF MCB3023 Exam 2: Understanding Mutations in Bacterial Genetics

Wild type strain

Usually an original strain isolated from any environment that has not been genetically altered.

Mutant strain

A strain derived from a wild type strain that carries one or multiple mutations.

Genotype

Describes the collection of alleles of a given set of genes in an organism.

Frameshift mutation

A mutation resulting from insertions or deletions of nucleotides that alters how a ribosome reads an mRNA molecule.

Phenotypic selection

Use of a growth medium that inhibits microbes lacking the desired gene(s) for detecting mutant strains.

Antibiotic selection

A method of selecting mutant strains by using antibiotics to inhibit the growth of non-desired strains.

Phenotypic screening

A method for detecting mutant strains by observing differences in growth or phenotype on different growth media.

Patching

The process of transferring colonies to a gridded plate for creating duplicate plates, used for accurate and reproducible screening.

Evolution in a test tube

Illustrated by Richard Lenski's work showing the evolution of E. coli over time in a controlled environment.

Relative fitness

A measure of the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in a given environment, often indicated by growth rates or other factors.

Spontaneous mutation

Mutations that occur naturally without external influence or selective pressure.

Selective pressure

The influence that the environment exerts on the survival and reproduction of an organism, leading to natural selection.