Day 1
What holds two bases together to form a base pair?
hydrogen bonds
How many primers are required for PCR? Why?
Two, because you start off with double-stranded DNA, so you need a forward primer and a reverse primer
How do researchers select for bacteria that have successfully taken up their recombinant DNA?
The recombinant DNA contains a gene that encodes for antibiotic resistance. When researchers plate bacteria on an agar plate that contains antibiotics, only bacteria that have taken up the plasmid will survive and grow.
What is the difference between phenotype and genotype?
Phenotype: physically observable traits
Genotype:the genetic makeup of a certain trait. I.e. the two alleles that a person possesses for a certain trait
What was the purpose of salt in our home DNA isolation lab?
The positive charge of sodium shielded the negative charge of the phosphate groups on DNA, thereby making it less soluble in water
What reactants are needed in a PCR reaction (4)
1. DNAP
2. Nucleotides
3. 2 primers
4. DNA sample
What are competent bacteria and how can you make a bacterium competent?
Competent bacteria are more likely to take up recombinant plasmids because their membrane is more permeable. This occurs via heat shock or electroporation
What are the 3 main steps of NGS?
1. Amplification of DNA
2. Sequencing
3. Analysis
During DNA synthesis, where does DNAP attach an incoming nucleotide to the growing DNA chain?
3'OH group of the deoxyribose sugar of the previously added nucleotide
What mutation causes Sickle cell anemia
GLU-->Val
What are the two types of cuts that restriction enzymes can make and which type is preferred when making recombinant DNA
blunt cuts and sticky cuts; sticky end formation is preferred
What are Mendel's two laws of inheritance?
Law of Segregation: alleles segregate randomly into gametes during meiosis
Law of Independent Assortment: separate genes are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring
True or false:
DNA is a right-handed double helix
True
You start off with 2 copies of double stranded DNA and perform PCR for 8 cycles. How many copies of double stranded DNA would you end up with?
2 x 28=512
Why do scientists want to "bring back" wholly mammoths? What qualities/adaptations do these animals have that make them useful for their purpose (hint: 3 things)
3 adaptations: more fat under their skin, furry coat, circulation system adapted to cold weather
Name 2 problems with ancient DNA
oxidative damage
hydrolytic damage
cross-linking
fragmentation
In what direction does DNA polymerase build DNA?
5' to 3'
This is why DNAP will bind to the 3' end of the template strand
You start off with 6 copies of double stranded DNA and perform PCR for 11 cycles. How many copies of single stranded DNA would you end up with?
6 x 211+1=24576
Why is the thawing of permafrost disadvantageous?
permafrost contains a lot of carbon. As permafrost thaws, it releases this carbon which then gets converted to carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change
Why do adapters need to be added to DNA during SGS?