Name That Technique
This blot detects RNA and reveals if a specific gene is being transcribed.
What is a Northern blot?
Only about 1.5% of the human genome consists of these coding sequences.
What are exons?
This type of mutation changes just a single base pair in DNA.
What is a point mutation?
This field applies computational tools to analyze biological data like genome sequences.
What is bioinformatics?
This method uses reverse transcriptase to make cDNA before PCR amplification.
What is RT-PCR?
These noncoding regions interrupt genes and are removed during RNA processing.
What are introns?
Accidents in meiosis that create extra sets of chromosomes lead to this condition.
What is polyploidy?
This resource from the NIH lets you search sequence databases such as GenBank.
What is the NCBI?
This technique uses fluorescent probes to show where in a tissue a gene is expressed.
What is in situ hybridization?
About 44% of the genome is made up of these “jumping genes” and related sequences.
What are transposable elements?
This process, which creates an extra copy of a gene, allows new functions to evolve.
What is gene duplication?
These “chips” can help identify cancer-specific expression profiles in patients.
What are DNA microarrays?
This type of blot detects protein expression using antibodies.
What is a Western blot?
These sequences help regulate transcription, acting like on/off switches for genes.
What are regulatory sequences (promoters/enhancers)?
These DNA segments can copy and paste themselves, sometimes altering gene expression.
What are retrotransposons (or transposons)?
This project compares cancer vs. normal cell sequences to identify common mutations.
What is The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)?
This high-throughput assay uses thousands of DNA spots on a chip to compare expression patterns between samples.
What is a DNA microarray?
These former genes have accumulated mutations and no longer produce functional proteins.
What are pseudogenes?
After humans and chimps diverged, two ancestral chromosomes fused to form this human-specific structure.
What is human chromosome 2?
Some argue insurance companies could misuse this kind of personal genomic information.
What is a genetic or DNA screen (or personal genome data)?