Nucleic Acid Extraction and Analysis

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to nucleic acid extraction, analysis, and amplification techniques.

Isolation of Nucleic Acids

The process of extracting nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) from various specimen types.

FFPE Tissue

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue; a common method for preserving tissue samples that complicates nucleic acid extraction.

Gel Electrophoresis

A technique used to separate nucleic acids based on size and integrity.

Spectrophotometry

A method for quantifying nucleic acids using UV absorbance, typically at 260 nm.

NanoDrop

A platform used for spectrophotometric analysis of small samples of nucleic acids.

Qubit

A fluorimetric tool used to measure the concentration of nucleic acids with high sensitivity.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A method used to amplify specific DNA sequences, creating millions of copies.

Restriction Enzyme

An enzyme that cuts DNA at specific recognition sites, used in genetic testing.

SSP-PCR (Sequence Specific Primer PCR)

A method that uses specific primers to detect specific mutations or polymorphisms in DNA.

dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs)

Nucleotides used in Sanger sequencing that lack a 3′ OH group, leading to chain termination.

Fluorimetry

A quantitative method that measures the fluorescence of dye-bound nucleic acids.

Silica-Based Columns

A popular method for the solid-phase isolation of DNA and RNA, utilizing silica's binding properties.

Amplification

The process of increasing the number of copies of a specific DNA segment.

Melting Temperature (Tm)

The temperature at which half of the DNA strands are denatured into single strands.

GC Clamp

A guanine (G) or cytosine (C) base at the 3' end of a primer that enhances binding stability.

Electropherogram

A visual output from gel electrophoresis or sequencing, depicting the size and sequence of DNA fragments.

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

A high-throughput sequencing method allowing for massive parallel sequencing of DNA.

DNA Ladder

A mixture of known DNA fragments of different sizes used as a size reference in gel electrophoresis.

Polymerase

An enzyme that synthesizes nucleic acids by adding nucleotides to a growing chain.

Taq polymerase

A traditional DNA polymerase used in PCR, known for its heat stability.