Exam 3 Study Guide: Recombinant DNA Technology & Microbial Genomics

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to recombinant DNA technology, microbial genomics, and associated topics necessary for understanding the content of Exam 3.

Biotechnology

Use of living organisms to create products that are useful to humans.

Genetic engineering

The deliberate modification of an organism's genome sequence.

Recombinant DNA technology

Set of procedures used to combine genetic material from multiple sources and create DNA sequences that are otherwise not found in biological organisms.

Cloning

Generation of a larger number of identical DNA molecules from a single DNA molecule.

Restriction enzymes

A type of endonuclease that allows scientists to cut up DNA at specific sites.

Sticky ends

Single-stranded DNA sequences produced by staggered cuts made by restriction enzymes.

Ligase

An enzyme that forms covalent bonds between the cloned gene and the plasmid, creating recombinant DNA.

Reverse transcriptase

An enzyme that synthesizes double-stranded DNA from a single-stranded RNA template.

Gel electrophoresis

A technique that separates nucleic acids and proteins based on their size and electrical charge.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A technique for quickly making many copies of very small amounts of DNA.

Taq polymerase

An enzyme that comes from a thermophilic bacterium found in hydrothermal vents, used in PCR.

Cloning vector

Provides means for transferring a gene of interest to a host organism during the cloning process.

Genomic library

A collection of an organism’s entire genomic DNA.

Transformation

The uptake of naked DNA from the environment into bacterial hosts.

Electroporation

A technique that makes a cell competent to take up DNA from the environment by applying an electrical shock.

Sanger sequencing

A method that involves the addition of dideoxyribonucleotide to halt DNA replication for sequencing.

Next-generation sequencing

Technologies that break DNA into pieces and attach oligonucleotides to their ends; they are cheaper and faster.

Transcriptome

The entire set of mRNA transcripts within a cell.

Metagenomics

The study of metagenomes, the genetic material recovered from environmental samples.

DNA microarray analysis

A tool that allows scientists to observe the pattern of DNA expression for thousands of genes at once.

Bioinformatics

The study of the genome using computational methods.

Virulence factors

Attributes of pathogens that enable them to outcompete host cells for resources.

Pathogens

Microbes that cause disease.

Opportunistic pathogen

A pathogen that causes disease only under certain conditions.

Infectious disease

A harmful infection caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or helminths.

Exotoxin

A toxin secreted by bacteria, commonly in gram-positive bacteria.

Endotoxin

A toxin embedded in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria.

Transmission

The movement of an infectious agent to a new host from another host or source.

Symbiosis

Any stable association of one organism with another.

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit and depend on each other for growth and survival.

Predation

A relationship where one organism (predator) attacks and kills another (prey).