PCR, RFLP, VNTR, STR, Test Review

Biotech

What is PCR and how is it used?

It is the mass replication of a particular DNA sequence.

What does PCR stand for?

polymerase chain reaction

What types of genetic material can be used for PCR and what organisms can it come from?

using short synthetic DNA fragments (primers) using the genome will be amplified and multiply

What does amplification mean?

To make many more copies

Why is the PCR machine called a thermocycler?

because they regulate temperatures in a cyclical program.

Which direction does elongation occur?

5' to 3'

What does anneal mean?

-Step 2

-binds the DNA together

Denaturation (PCR)

-Step 1

-separation of the two strands of DNA

What does extension mean?

-Step 3

-collecting the new strands of DNA

Where does the enzyme used in PCR come from and why is that important?

DNA polymerase (enzyme) makes new strands of DNA, using existing strands as templates.

What are primers in PCR?

short segments of DNA that act as the starting point for DNA synthesis

What are nucleotides in PCR?

single units of the bases for new DNA

What is the enzyme used in PCR called?

DNA polymerase

Explain how RFLP is used to determine the family relationship (parent to child).

analyzed as a type of genetic testing to see if a person contains a mutant gene for an illness that runs in their family.

Why is it important to use a control in RFLP?

Because it is commonly used in variation analysis and genetic mapping

What would be the name of an RFLP marker on chromosome 11, section 2?

D11S2(DNA,Chromosome 11, Stand, 2)

How many pairs of chromosomes do humans usually have?

23 pairs

What does RFLP stand for?

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

Know how to read a gel to determine if family members are related.

half of the bands will belong to the mom while the other half will belong to the dad

What is the database used to compare VNTR/STR for forensics?

CODIS

How many loci should be compared to determine a match in DNA?

3-5 loci

What lab steps are necessary to be able to analyze VNTRs?

-containing fragments are then measured by sorting the DNA fragments according to size using gel electrophoresis.

-DNA samples are loaded into wells along one end of the gel and an electric current is applied across the length of the gel.

What applications are VNTR/STRs used for?

forensic science or in maternity/paternity cases

Where in the DNA are VNTRs found?

chromosomes

What does VNTR stand for?

variable number of tandem repeats

What does STR stand for?

short tandem repeats

Know how to read a gel to determine paternity and forensic analysis.

The bp next to each number in the ladder indicates how many base pairs long the DNA fragment is.

Know how to read and analyze electropherograms for STR reports.

xy-Male (If it shows only Y)

xx-Female( If it shows only (x)

is how to determine the graph