Chapter 12(Study Guide)

Front 1

Biotechnology

Back 1

the manipulation (as through genetic engineering) of living organisms or their components to produce useful usually commercial products (as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, or novel pharmaceuticals); also : any of various applications of biological science used in such manipulation

Front 2

Transgenic

Back 2

being or used to produce an organism or cell of one species into which one or more genes of another species have been incorporated

Front 3

Plasmid

Back 3

an extrachromosomal ring of DNA especially of bacteria that replicates autonomously

Front 4

Restriction enzymes

Back 4

any of various enzymes that cleave DNA into fragments at specific sites in the interior of the molecule —called also restriction endonuclease.

Front 5

Recombinant DNA

Back 5

genetically engineered DNA usually incorporating DNA from more than one species of organism

Front 6

Electrophoresis

Back 6

the movement of suspended particles through a medium (as paper or gel) under the action of an electromotive force applied to electrodes in contact with the suspension

Front 7

Genetic profiling/fingerprinting

Back 7

a technique used especially for identification (as for forensic purposes) by extracting and identifying the base-pair pattern in an individual's DNA —called also DNA typing

Front 8

Junk DNA

Back 8

a region of DNA that usually consists of a repeating DNA sequence, does not code for protein, and has no known function

Front 9

Gene therapy

Back 9

the insertion of usually genetically altered genes into cells especially to replace defective genes in the treatment of genetic disorders or to provide a specialized disease-fighting function

Front 10

Genetically modified organisms

Back 10

organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the production of desired biological products.
An organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering.

Front 11

1. Explain how and why a gene would be removed from a human and inserted into
bacteria.

Back 11

.

Front 12

2. Explain how and why a gene could be inserted into a human.

Back 12

A gene that is inserted directly into a cell usually does not function. Instead, a carrier called a vector is genetically engineered to deliver the gene. Certain viruses are often used as vectors because they can deliver the new gene by infecting the cell. The viruses are modified so they can’t cause disease when used in people. Some types of virus, such as retroviruses, integrate their genetic material (including the new gene) into a chromosome in the human cell. Other viruses, such as adenoviruses, introduce their DNA into the nucleus of the cell, but the DNA is not integrated into a chromosome.

The vector can be injected or given intravenously (by IV) directly into a specific tissue in the body, where it is taken up by individual cells. Alternately, a sample of the patient’s cells can be removed and exposed to the vector in a laboratory setting. The cells containing the vector are then returned to the patient. If the treatment is successful, the new gene delivered by the vector will make a functioning protein.