Biotechnology Ch. 20 (Tools and Techniques)

Annealing

50-65 degrees celsius; primers bond to strands

Extension

75-80 degrees Celsius; Taq polymerase attatches to primer and replicates target sequence.

Gene libraries

A genomic library is a collection of the total genomic DNA from a single organism. The DNA is stored in a population of identical vectors, each containing a different insert of DNA.

Vectors

DNA molecules that can be modified to store and replicate other DNA sequences. ex. plasmids, bacterial phages, viruses, artificial chromosomes

Denaturation

First step in the PCR. 94-98 degrees celsius; DNA strands separate

Gel electrophoresis

Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory method used to separate mixtures of DNA, RNA, or proteins according to molecular size. In gel electrophoresis, the molecules to be separated are pushed by an electrical field through a gel (argarose) that contains small pores. DNA migrates to the positive electrode. Smaller fragments move through the gel faster than the larger fragments.

DNA sequencing

Image result for dna sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a strand of DNA

cDNA

In genetics, complementary DNA (cDNA) is double-stranded DNA synthesized from a single stranded RNA (e.g., messenger RNA (mRNA) or microRNA (microRNA)) template in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme reverse transcriptase. cDNA is often used to clone eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes.

Polymerase Chain Reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique used in molecular biology to amplify a single copy or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.

Restriction Enzymes

Restriction enzymes are enzymes that cut a DNA molecule at a particular place. They are essential tools for recombinant DNA technology. The enzyme "scans" a DNA molecule, looking for a particular sequence known as the restriction site.

DNA fingerprinting

The unique banding pattern of a particular restriction enzyme digest of a particular sequence.

Plasmids

a genetic structure in a cell that can replicate independently of the chromosomes. It is typically a small circular DNA strand in the cytoplasm of a bacterium or protozoan. It has an origin of replication, a region containing many restriction sites, and genes that enable the screening of cells that have successfully taken up a plasmid. (usually ampicillin resistance)

Microarrays

a grid of DNA segments of known sequence that is used to test and map DNA fragments, antibodies, or proteins.