Genetics
A segment of DNA scientists can study
Gene
Which animals are commonly studied in labs?
Mice, fruit flies, and roundworms.
Recombinant DNA allows scientist to:
study individual genes and their effects in different organisms
What is gel electrophoresis?
A technique to separate DNA by its length.
What is biotechnology?
Using living organisms or cellular processes to improve our lives.
When was the Human Genome Project completed (approx.) and what did it achieve?
They successfully sequenced the whole human genome in 2000 (final draft publish in 2003)
Petri dishes (agar plates)
Can be used to make many copies of a specific region of a DNA fragment.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
How much agar would you add to 100 mL of buffer to make a 1% gel?
1 gram
What is an organoid?
A small group or mass of lab-grown cells that can be used to model tissues and organs.
What is CRISPR-Cas9 used for?
Editing specific genes/portions of DNA. Can help cure genetic diseases.
List one reason C. elegans are a common model organism in labs.
They are simple, we have already mapped out their nervous system, and they use some of the same nuerotransmitters as humans.
What are restriction enzymes used for?
cleaving DNA at certain spots
Why do we need to stain gels sometimes?
To make the DNA visible under UV light.
What is bioinformatics?
The study of how to create and use computer databases to organize, store, and analyze data.
What is base pair editing and how is it different from CRISPR-Cas9?
Edit a single base pair instead of a whole section. More specific.
What are transgenic organisms?
Organisms with altered genomes (can be created with recombinant DNA tchnique)
A carrier, known as a vector, is used to make recombinant DNA. One of the most used vectors are:
plasmids
What is a DNA ladder?
A mixture of DNA of specified known lengths that can help us determine how long our samples are by comparing them to it.
Why are strawberries often used for simple DNA extraction demonstrations? (list 1 of 3 reasons)
They have lots of DNA (8 copies), easy to crush, and very accessible.
What is an example of us humans manipulating DNA early on before computers and other technology were created?
Breeding good offspring/crops together to select for certain phenotypes.
How do you prepare agar plates/petri dishes? Name one step.
1. dissolve agar powder and other desired nutrients or additives in solvent of choice (ex. water)
2. autoclave to kill microbes/sterilize
3. pour agar into empty petri dishes in a laminar flow hood to keep sterile
What are the steps for PCR?
1. calculate how much of each substance you need in each tube (total volume ~50 uL), determine PCR conditions (temp)
2. mix PCR mixture: DNA fragments we want to copy, DNA polymerase + nucleotides, forward/reverse primers
3. the tube is put in a thermocycler that heats and cools the tube according to predetermined (denaturation, annealing, extension) conditions
How do larger molecules travel through the gel compared to smaller ones?
What are designer babies, and what are some concerns about them?
designer baby: A designer baby is a baby whose genetic makeup has been selected or altered, often to include a particular gene or to remove genes associated with a health condition. Concerns: potential health problems, unethical b/c ___...