BIOTECHNOLOGY

The use of living organisms to solve industrial tasks.

RESTRICTION ENZYMES A.K.A restriction endonuclease Enzymes which cuts DNA along sugar-

phosphate backbone “Cuts” DNA at Restriction Sites

RESTRICTION SITE Locations on a DNA molecule(Containing

4-8 base pairs) recognized by restriction enzymes

DNA END/ STICKY END Properties of the end of a molecule of

DNA/ Recombinant DNA molecule Can stick to any other single strand

nucleic acid with the complementary sequence.

DNA LIGASE Joins DNA fragments together In DNA cloning, it joins the ends of

plasmid DNA to the ends of the DNA fragment creating a recombinant plasmid.

DNA CLONING “Experimental methods in molecular

biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their replication within host organisms”

PLASMIDS DNA molecule that can replicate

independently from Chromosomal DNA

RECOMBINANT DNA DNA sequences that are a result of

molecular cloning

GENETIC ENGINEERING Manipulation of an organism’s genome

through the use of modern DNA technology

CELL CYCLE A.K.A Cell- division cycle Mitosis

GENE CLONING “Process of extracting DNA from host

cell and implanting it to function in another type of cell”

CLONING VECTOR “Small piece of DNA into which a foreign

DNA fragment can be inserted”

GENOMIC LIBRARY “Population of host bacteria, each of

which carries a DNA molecule that was inserted into a cloning vector.”

BACTERIOPHAGE Viruses that infect bacteria

INTRONS DNA “junk”

CDNA

abbreviation for complementary DNA DNA that has been made by mRNA commonly used for cloning eukaryotic

cells.

REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION The enzyme reverse transcriptase turns

mRNA into cDNA by using transcription, but put into reverse.

Uses the base pairing rules to match up with the opposite strand and then attaches itself.

MRNA DEGRADATION mRNAs all have distinct lifetimes;the

degradation of some can be sped up or slowed down depending on various factors.

Some structures help protect the mRNA from such “deaths”, such as the polyA tail.

DNA POLYMERASE & PRIMER At the 3’ end of the polyA tail, ssDNA is

found;it tends to form a hairloop-like structure at its end. The DNA polymerase then uses this as its primer and therefore is able to transcribe a sequence that is complementary for the ssDNA.

DNA HYBRIDIZATION Technique scientists use to determine

the similarity in sequencing between a range of DNAs that came from different places and how much it is repeated in one DNA.

NUCLEIC ACID PROBE A fragment (of nucleic acid) that is

complementary to the sequencing of a difference nucleic acid, that when tagged or labeled (whether it be dyed or radioactively tagged), it is used to point out the existing complementary segments in the sequencing of nucleic acids in many microorganisms.

EXPRESSION CLONING DNA cloning technique that, using

expression vectors, generates a “clone library”, in which one protein is represented by one clone, and each clone expresses one protein.

EXPRESSION VECTORS Particular type of cloning vector where

the signals (transcription & translation) that are needed for gene regulation of the gene in interest are part of the cloning vector.

YEAST VS. BACTERIA CELLS Yeast is eukaryotic whereas bacteria is

prokaryotic. In bacteria, RNA processing occurs in the cytoplasm while it occurs in the nucleus for yeast.

POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION When a protein is modified after it has

been translated.

PHAGE General term for the technique of

studying proteins by connecting them to the genetic information that retains to them.

ELECTROPORATION Involves sending a surge of electricity to

momentarily and temporarily open the pores in the cell membrane in order to bring DNA (or chromosomes) into the cell.

HEAT SHOCK Response from the cell after being

overheated to an extent where the protein misfolds and denatures.

CROSS GENE EXPRESSION & EVOLUTIONARY ANCESTRY Genes may cross over, creating a

greater diversity and evolutionizing the cell. The ancestry can be as common as different, but you can trace it down to find the patterns.