Molec Lab Exam 1

What is the goal of scientific writing?

To get money (funding) to explore new ideas

What can be said about the skill of writing?

It’s a learned skill that needs to be practiced and it is a very competitive field

What are some parts of the writing process?

know what you’re writing, set deadlines, gather materials, write, edit, submit

what does a PB buffer do?

the acidic pH helps to remove extra material

what does a PE buffer do?

washes away small DNA fragments and leftover dnNTPs

what does an EB buffer do?

elutes the fragments

what is the purpose of using a silica gel membrane?

DNA absorbs to the silica membrane in the presence of high salt concentrations and contaminants pass through the column.

why do we need to purify the DNA?

removes contaminants

what contaminants are removed in DNA purification?

PCR buffer, Taq Polymerase, Primers, Extra DNA, dNTPs

Who decides the code of ethics for professional communities?

The people within those professional communities

What are some violations of academic integrity?

Plagiarism, Copying, Sharing

How can scientists go wrong?

lack of review, measuring errors, plagiarism

how can scientists stay on the right track?

double checking, peer reviews, mentoring

what can be consequences of scientists going wrong?

losing credibility, loss of job, public mistrust in science

where do antibodies come from?

The immune system

Innate Immune System

body’s first line of defense such as the skin and mucous membranes.

Adaptive Immune System

learned response that targets specific invaders and can be established by vaccines.

what cells are included in the innate immune system?

macrophages, neutrophils, NK cells

what cells are included in the adaptive immune system?

t cells, b cells, antigens

what do B cells make? where is the product found?

makes antibodies, found in bone marrow

epitope

region on antigen where antibody binds

describe the general shape of an antibody

Y shape

in what two ways can antibodies inactivate antigens

phagocytosis, cell lysis

how are antibodies used for visualization?

signaling antibodies bind to target antibodies that are bound to an antigen. sometimes uses an enzyme to enact a color change.

in electrophoresis molecules move from

negative (black) to positive (red)

polyclonal antibodies

multiple antibody clones are made for different epitopes by injecting an antigen into an animal

why is the process of polyclonal antibodies used more frequently than other methods?

less expensive

monoclonal antibodies

cells grown in culture from animal injected with antibodies. these cells are cultured, isolated then multiplied. makes one specific antibody

what does the suffix -mab in medicine mean?

monoclonal antibody

why must the primary and secondary antibody be made in a different animal?

an animal cannot make an antibody for itself, it would die.

what does elisa stand for?

enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

what is the function of the blocking reagent in ELISA?

prevents binding of antibodies to plate and non-specific binding

what was the secondary antibody coupled to in the ELISA?

horseradish peroxidase

Risk Group 1

not associated with disease in healthy adult humans

risk group 2

associated with RARELY SERIOUS human disease and medicine is OFTEN available

Risk Group 3

associated with SERIOUS or LETHAL disease in humans and medicine MAY be available

Risk Group 4

associated with causing SERIOUS or LETHAL disease where medicine is NOT USUALLY available

primary containment

protection of personnel (PPE) and immediate lab environment

secondary containment

protection of environment external to lab such as facility design

what are DNA strands composed of?

Two polynucleotide strands bonded together by hydrogen bonds

where is dna located in plant cells?

nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts

what is similar of both PCR and DNA Replication?

they use the same ingredients and methods of cellular DNA replication

name 3 necessary PCR components

Magnesium chloride, reaction buffer, TAQ

what is a GMO?

organism whos genetic material has been altered in a way that doesn’t occur naturally

how are gmos made?

identify gene, isolate gene, clone gene, engineer gene

what are examples of transgenic plants

corn, cotton, papaya

pro of using GMOs?

improve nutritional value of foods

cons of using GMOs?

allergic reactions and antibiotic resistance

interspecies variation

differences in traits between individuals of different species ; high

intraspecies variation

differences in traits between individuals in the same species ; low