Biotechnology Flashcards

Flashcards about biotechnology terms and definitions.

Biotechnology Exam

Designed to create an awareness of career possibilities in the field of biotechnology and introduces students to diagnostic and therapeutic laboratory procedures that support bioscience research and practice.

Genetic Testing

The sequencing of human DNA in order to discover genetic differences, anomalies, or mutations that may prove pathological.

Gene Therapy

The process of treating a disease or disorder by replacing a dysfunctional gene with a functional gene.

Genetic Counseling

The giving of advice to prospective parents concerning the chances of genetic disorders in a future child.

Human Genome Project

A collaborative international effort to sequence and map all the DNA on the 23 human chromosomes, completed in 2003.

Next Generation Sequencing

Generates masses of DNA sequencing data and is both less expensive and less time-consuming than traditional Sanger sequencing.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A technique that involves copying short pieces of DNA and then making millions of copies in a short amount of time.

Real-Time PCR

Use of fluorescent probe technology to measure PCR product as it is being produced, also called quantitative RT-PCR or qRT-PCR, for short.

Reverse Transcriptase PCR

Use of reverse transcriptase to produce cDNA (copy DNA) from mRNA for use in PCR, abbreviation RT-PCR, not to be confused with Real-Time.

QA (Quality Assurance)

A department that deals with quality objectives and how they are met and reported internally and externally.

QC (Quality Control)

A department in a company that monitors the quality of a product and all the instruments and reagents associated with it.

Sterile Handling

A set of routine measures that are taken to prevent cultures, sterile media stocks, and other solutions from being contaminated by unwanted microorganisms.

Autoclave/Steam

Optimal temperature is 121 degrees for 20 minutes at 15psi pressure

Aseptic technique vs. Sterile technique

Aseptic technique leads to removal of pathogens while sterile technique is all microorganisms

Section 1 of SDS

Product identifier, manufacturer or distributor name, address, phone number, emergency phone number, recommended use, and restrictions on use

Section 2 of SDS

All hazards regarding the chemical and required label elements.

Section 3 of SDS

Information on chemical ingredients and trade secret claims.

Section 4 of SDS

Required first aid treatment for exposure to a chemical and the symptoms (immediate or delayed) of exposure.

Section 5 of SDS

The techniques and equipment recommended for extinguishing a fire involving the chemical and hazards that may be created during combustion.

Section 6 of SDS

Steps to take in the event of a spill or release involving the chemical. Includes: emergency procedures, protective equipment and proper methods of containment and cleanup.

Section 7 of SDS

Precautions for safe handling and storage, including incompatibilities.

Section 8 of SDS

OSHA’s permissible exposure limits (PELs), threshold limit values (TLVs), appropriate engineering controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Section 9 of SDS

The chemical’s characteristics.

Section 10 of SDS

Chemical stability and possible hazardous reactions.

Section 11 of SDS

Routes of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or absorption contact), symptoms, acute and chronic effects, and numerical measures of toxicity.

Section 12 of SDS

How the chemical might affect the environment and the duration of the effect.

Section 13 of SDS

Describes safe handling of wastes and methods of disposal, including the disposal of any contaminated packaging.

Section 14 of SDS

Includes packing, marking, and labeling requirements for hazardous chemical shipments.

Section 15 of SDS

Indicates regulations that apply to chemical.

Section 16 of SDS

Includes date of preparation or last revision.

Laboratory Notebook

Any permanently bound book used to record laboratory experiments

Micropipette

Instrument used to measure very tiny volumes, usually less than a millimeter. Measures in microliters, and can measure volumes between 0.5 and 1000 ul

Centrifuge

Device for rotating containers about a fixed axis and separating materials in said containers by mass inertia

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that measures the amount of light that passes through (is transmitted through) a sample.

UV specs

Uses the high-energy light with wavelengths of around 100 to 350 nanometers to detect colorless molecules.

Visible Light Specs (VIS Spectrophotometer)

Uses the range of wavelengths that are visible to the human eye, with wavelengths of around 350 to 700 nanometers. This is also called “white light”

pH meter

a scientific instrument that measures the hydrogen-ion activity in water-based solutions, indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH

Centrifuge

Device for rotating containers about a fixed axis and separating materials in said containers by mass inertia

Electrophoresis apparatus

Uses electricity to separate molecules in a gel slab.

Ethidium Bromide (EtBr)

Stain that glows a pinkish-orange color when it is mixed with DNA and exposed to UV light

High-throughput Screening

The process of examining hundreds or thousands of samples for a particular activity.

Thermocycler

An instrument used to complete PCR reactions; automatically cycles through different temperatures

Microscope

An optical instrument used for viewing very small objects that is typically magnified several hundred times

Autoclave

An instrument that creates high temperature and high pressure to sterilize equipment and media

Autoclave

Creates high temperature and high pressure to burst all bacteria or fungus cells

Balance

An instrument that measures mass

Water baths

Equipment made from a container filled with heated water… Used to incubate samples in water at a constant temperature over a long period of time

Importance of following protocols

Ensures that the experiment is being done correctly, Reduces safety issues, Reduces mistakes, Produces wanted outcome

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Include skills critical to safety such as laboratory written and oral procedures, Working in a professional manner, Keeping detailed records of all work

GDP- good documentation practices

Official lab notebooks or composition book work fine since it has sewn pages

Atomic number

The number of protons in an element

Mass number

The number of protons and neutrons in an element

Atomic mass

Weighted average of all of the isotopes of that element, where the mass of each isotope is multiplied by the amount

Moles

Mole- the mass in grams of 6.02 x 10^23, atoms or molecules of a given substance, 1 mole of substance is equal to the molecular mass of a substance in grams

Cell membrane

Separates the interior of the cell from the outside environment and controls what comes enters and exits the cell

E. coli bacteria

Used in molecular biology. Generation time close to 20 minutes

Growth Requirements For Typical Microorganisms

Bacteria are very diverse and quite adaptable, but they still need certain factors in order to thrive; physical requirements for bacterial growth include pH range, temperature, oxygen concentrations, moisture levels, hydrostatic pressure, osmotic pressure, and radiation levels

Methods of Inoculation

Includes liquid medium, an agar test tube slant, or a petri dish, and innoculating needle

Gram negative

Has 2 membranes and a thin peptidoglycan layer and stain red/pink

Gram Positive

Stain purple with retaining crystal violet and They have a thick peptidoglycan layer shown

Components of nucleotides

Phosphate, Sugar, Nitrogen Base (Adenine, Thymine or Uracil, Guanine, Cytosine)

gel electrophoresis

An often-horizontal process to separate molecules in a gel slab

Human t-PA enzyme

Helps dissolve blood clots in some heart attack patients

Plasmid

Plasmid- a segment of DNA independent of the chromosomes and capable of replication, occurring in bacteria and yeast: used in recombinant DNA procedures to transfer genetic material from one cell to another

Selection gene in plasmids

Usually a gene for antibiotic resistance, in DNA cloning, a plasmid vector must contain a selectable gene,most commonly a drug-resistance gene encoding an enzyme that inactivates a specific antibiotic

Origin of Replication

A sequence of DNA at which replication is initiated on a chromosome, plasmid or virus

Multiple Cloning Site

A short segment of DNA which contains many restriction sites - a standard feature of engineered plasmids; restriction sites within an MCS are typically unique, occurring only once within a given plasmid

Process of plasmid DNA isolation

The isolation of plasmid DNA from E. coli using an alkaline lysis is a well-established method