Practical 2 Review and GMO Project Labs Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Micropipettes, Cellular Respiration, Photosynthesis experiments, GMO production steps, DNA extraction, PCR, Gel Electrophoresis, and Mitosis.

Micropipettes

Laboratory tools used to measure and transfer small volumes of liquid; specific sizes include the $P20$, $P200$, and $P1000$.

Cellular Respiration

The metabolic process carried out by mitochondria that produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which can be observed by blowing into water.

Phenol red

The pH indicator used to observe changes in acidity; it turns yellow in acidic conditions and pink when solution becomes more basic (e.g., during photosynthesis).

Elodea

An aquatic plant used to demonstrate the interconnection of cellular respiration and photosynthesis by changing the pH of a solution over time.

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that utilize carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) as a carbon source and sunlight as an energy source for photosynthesis.

Chemoheterotrophs

Organisms that utilize organic molecules as both their carbon source and energy source.

Sodium bicarbonate

In the spinach disk experiment, a $0.1\%$ solution of this substance served as the carbon source to allow the disks to perform photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll

The primary pigment in photosynthesis that absorbs blue and red wavelengths most efficiently and reflects/absorbs green light the least.

GMO

An acronym for Genetically Modified Organism, which refers to organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Promoters and Terminators

Common genetic regulatory sequences added to a foreign gene to encourage and control its expression in a new host plant.

Back-crossing

A step in creating GMOs where the genetically modified plant is crossed with a hardy, high-yield crop line.

Chelex

A substance used during DNA extraction to inactivate enzymes present in the sample that could otherwise degrade the DNA.

Centrifuge

A piece of laboratory equipment used to separate cellular debris from a DNA sample based on density.

Homogenizer

A piece of equipment, such as a vortex, used to mix a sample thoroughly during the DNA extraction process.

PCR

An acronym for Polymerase Chain Reaction, a technique used to create numerous copies of a specific DNA segment through repeated cycles of heating and cooling.

Thermocycler

The instrument used to automate the temperature changes required for the PCR process.

Denaturation

The first stage of PCR where the DNA strands are separated from one another, typically occurring at high temperatures such as $94\text{--}96^\circ\text{C}$.

Annealing

The second stage of PCR where primers bind to the separated target DNA strands.

Extension

The final stage of PCR where an enzyme creates new copies of the DNA by adding nucleotides to the primers.

Taq DNA polymerase

A heat-stable enzyme used in PCR to synthesize new strands of DNA.

Primers

Short strands of DNA that provide a starting point for DNA synthesis; in this lab, they targeted plant genes and GMO-specific sequences ($NOS/CaMV35$).

$$MgCl_2$$

A cofactor required for the function of DNA polymerase during the PCR reaction.

Gel Electrophoresis

A technology used to separate DNA fragments based on their size and negative electrical charge as they move through a matrix toward a positive cathode.

Agarose

The polysaccharide material used to form the gel matrix in electrophoresis.

Plant Master Mix

A PCR solution containing primers designed to amplify a gene found in both GMO and Non-GMO plants to verify DNA extraction was successful.

GMO Master Mix

A PCR solution containing primers specifically designed to amplify regulatory sequences like $NOS$ or $CaMV35$ found in genetically modified foods.

Mitosis

The process of cell division seen in the growing tips of garlic or onion roots, consisting of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm that occurs at the end of mitosis to form two distinct daughter cells.