8: Polymerase Chain Reaction

Genome

Composed of DNA, hereditary code, blueprint that controls appearance/behavior/tendencies

Molecular Biology

Study of genes and molecular details that regulate flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins from generation to generation

Biotechnology

Uses molecular biology to manipulate organisms’ (microbes, plants, animals) DNA to help solve human problems

Molecular Framework

DNA, RNA, and proteins closely tied together

Proteins and Enzymes

Play a critical role in life process, time spent studying protein to understand how they work to cure/prevent/overcome diseases + physical handicaps and explain how and why organisms exist/propagate/die

Polymerase Chain Reaction

Technique used by scientists to amplify regions of DNA; amplify + identify viral/bacterial DNA, amplify small amounts of DNA at crime scenes, amplify genes of interest for further study

Kary Mullis

Developed PCR 1983 using basic knowledge of replication, one specific DNA region amplifies without isolation away from billions of other DNA base pairs in genome