H. Biology - Biotechnology Study Guide

what is gene sequencing?

determining the exact sequence of nucleotides in DNA

what are the pros and cons of DNA sequencing?

the pros are helps with diagnosis, prevent diseases, and a better understanding of genetic disorders. the cons are that its expensive and time consuming, difficult to analyze, and requires specific equipment

what is gene therapy?

to modify someone's genes to treat or cure diseases

what are the pros and cons of gene therapy?

the pros are helping prevent diseases. the cons are unintended genetic changes, ethical concerns, infections, and immune responses

what is gel electrophoresis?

using electricity to separate DNA fragments by size

what are the pros and cons of gel electrophoresis?

the pros are helping solve crimes, performing paternity tests, helping evolutionary studies, and it's easy and cheap. the cons are the possible contaminants, it's not conclusive, and can't be used to convict a defendant

what are GM foods?

organisms with genetically altered or engineered genes

what are the pros and cons of GM foods?

the pros are it increase food yields, increase nutrients in food, and prevent pests and diseases. the cons are a diversity loss, ethical concerns, and health risks

what is bacterial transformation?

inserting genes into bacteria with the intent to help the environment or humans

what are the pros and cons of bacterial transformation?

the pros are they endlessly create rDNA, it's easy to control DNA, it's easy to feed the culture, it helps feed people, it helps create HGH, insulin, and clotting factors, and help contain oil spills. the cons are not all bacteria accepts the genes, and the potential the bacteria is harmed due to modification

what is CRISPR?

an enzyme called Cas9 that cuts DNA and is used to edit genes

what are the pros and cons of CRISPR?

the pros are its precise gene editing, it helps treat diseases, helps treat cancer, and prevents genetic diseases. the cons are the ethical concerns, the unintentional side effects, and its ability to be used for evil

what is stem cell therapy?

using stem cells to repair damaged or diseased tissue

what are the pros and cons of stem cell therapy?

the pros are its versatile in many medical fields, it personalizes recovery treatment, and it's non-invasive and has a low rejection chance. the cons are its ethical concerns, unintentional side effects, lack of accessibility, it's very expensive, and it's rarely regulated.

what is cloning?

to create a genetically identical copy of a cell or organism

what are the pros and cons of cloning?

the pros are it helps treat diseases, clones for organ transplant, and saves endangered species. the cons are its ethical concerns, health risks, genetic diversity risks, can be used for evil, and environmental impact.

what is a pluripotent stem cell?

cells that can develop into many specialized cells

what is a adult stem cell?

found in adult tissues like bone marrow that can develop into a few specialized cells

what is a iPSC stem cell?

adult cells chemically reversed to become undifferentiated

where are plasmids naturally found?

in bacteria

what does CRISPR mean?

Clustered Regular Interspaced Palindromic Repeats

what does palindromic mean?

something that’s spelled the same forward or backwards

what’s the difference between sticky and blunt ends?

blunt ends cut straight through, cleaving the covalent bonds from the backbone. sticky ends leave jagged ends, cutting only the hydrogen bonds.

why is it better to do sticky ends rather than blunt ends?

easier to combine with other DNA

what are the differences between cisgenic and transgenic?

cisgenic rDNA comes from the same species, transgenic rDNA comes from other species