Biotechnology
Using living systems to modify products.
Define Fermentation. Give me an example.
The process where microorganisms like yeast or bacteria convert sugars into alcohol, acids or gases in the absence of oxygen.
Examples: Pickles, Natto, Kimchi etc.
What does bacterial DNA look like? How is it different from Human DNA?
bacterial DNA is circular, called a plasmid, while human DNA is linear.
What is Primase?
an enzyme that synthesizes short RNA primers complementary to the DNA template
Hypothesis vs. Theory. Explain the difference.
A hypothesis is an educated guess that can be tested while a theory is an explanation with evidence that backs it.
Define PCR. What does it stand for?
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): used to amplify a specific segment of DNA.
What is Transduction?
Transfer of DNA through bacteriophages
What is Helicase?
an enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix by breaking the hydrogen bonds between complementary DNA strands
What is a biopharmaceutical? Give me an example.
any medication or drug product that was made in or from a living source(s).
Examples: Insulin, Penicilin
Define Recombinant DNA.
DNA that is formed by combining DNA molecules from different sources. Moving a specific segment of DNA from one organism to another. Remember the fly!
What is Conjugation?
Direct transfer of DNA between bacterial cells through a pilus.
What is Ligase?
an enzyme that joins together DNA fragments
What do the following biotech colors correlate to?
White, Red, Green, Dark, Violet, Gold, and Blue.
White: industrial Gold: Bioinformatics
Red: Medical Blue: Aquatic/Marine
Green: Agricultural Violet: Ethics
Dark: Bioterrorism
Define Gene Regulation.
The process where a cell controls the expression of genes.
What is Transformation?
Uptake of foreign DNA from the environment.
What is DNA Polymerase?
an enzyme responsible for synthesizing new polymers of DNA
How do we know when Translation is over?
When a stop codon is introduced
What pairs with A in translation?
U
What is horizontal gene transfer?
the process by which genetic material is moved between organisms that are not related by parent and offspring
When do we use DNA Polymerase and RNA polymerase?
DNA polymerase during replication. RNA polymerase transcription.