Biotechnology Lecture Flashcards Ch. 9

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to biotechnology as discussed in the lecture.

Biotechnology/genetic engineering

Associated with procedures that involve manipulating and analyzing DNA and it products

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques, often for commercial or medicinal purposes.

CRISPR-Cas9

A revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise modifications of DNA, discovered in bacteria.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

A technique used to amplify specific DNA sequences, generating over a billion copies of a particular region of DNA in hours

Recombinant DNA (rDNA)

DNA that has been formed artificially by combining constituents from different organisms.

Gene Therapy

A technique that modifies a person's genes to treat or cure disease, often involving the insertion of healthy copies of a gene.

DNA Gel Electrophoresis

A method used to separate DNA fragments based on their size by applying an electric field to a gel matrix.

Reverse Transcriptase

An enzyme used to generate complementary DNA (cDNA) from an RNA template.

Transgenic Crops

Crops that have been genetically engineered to express traits from another species, such as pest resistance.

Therapeutic Proteins

Proteins that are produced, often via genetic engineering, for medical applications, such as insulin.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes that cut DNA at a restriction site, generates restriction fragments, DNA ligase joins DNA nucleotides, allows creation of rDNA molecules

Colony Blotting

A technique used to detect specific DNA sequences in a colony of cells by transferring colonies onto a membrane and probing for a target sequence.

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)

. Used to compare genomes of species, provides insight into evolution of microorganisms, allows for precision medicine

Mary-Claire King

identified the BRCA-1 gene (breast cancer), also used DNA sequencing to reunite children with their parents 

Mitochondrial DNA inherited on

mother’s side

Precision medicine

uses info of a patients genetic makeup to tailor treatment.

DNA typing (DNA Fingerprinting)

used in forensics to identify specific individuals, relies on the polymerase chain reaction

Transgenic crops

A plant that has been genetically modified

Recognition site

Restriction enzyme recognize a 4 to 6 base-pair nucleotide sequence

Palindromes

are sequences that read the same forward and backward, commonly found in recognition sites for restriction enzymes.

cDNA (double stranded)-Intron-free copy of a gene

Reverse transcriptase generates a single DNA strand from mRNA, DNA polymerase synthesizes complementary strand to form dscDNA

Enzyme found in retroviruses (HIV)

Reverse transcriptase

Plasmid

often used as a vector to transfer DNA to bacterium, can replicate independently

Molecular cloning

can occur in a host cell or in a test tube to create multiple copies of a DNA fragment for manipulation and analysis of the gene or gene product

Use of a plasmid vector for cloning

isolate DNA of interest, restriction enzymes generate fragments of DNA and cuts vector, DNA ligase join the vector and DNA (gene) fragments creating rDNA, introduce rDNA into host cell, host now produces the desired protein or gene product. Plasmid will be passed on to progeny (daughter) cells as the cell replicates

Taq DNA Polymerase

heat sable DNA Polymerase from Thermus aquaticus

3 step amplification cycle (PCR)

Denaturing-heat used to separate DNA strands, Annealing-attachment of primers to the complementary region of templet strands of DNA, and Synthesis-Taq DNA polymerase incorporates complementary nucleotides starting from the primers

Primers

short-single stranded pieces of DNA, produce PCR product containing only target sequence(start and stop)