DNA

• DNA Structure: Double Helix consists of 2 strands with nucleotides.
• The full form of DNA is Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
• DNA is a group of atoms stuck together forming a double helix, serving as the genetic code determining the characteristics of a living organism.
• DNA is made up of over 3 billion cells, each with a unique role, such as bones, brains, skin, and all together they form our bodies.
• DNA instructs the cells what to do and what responsibilities and function they have in the body.
• Amino Acids are essential chemicals in the body referred to as the building blocks of life, with various types and shapes.
• The body links amino acids in specific ways to build proteins.
• Proteins and other chemicals create cells to form tissues and then form muscles and organs.
• There are millions of proteins to form the body.
• DNA stays coiled up in the nucleus of the cells to convert amino acids into proteins.
• Nucleotide consists of Phosphate connected with Sugar connected with base.
• The 4 Bases in DNA are Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine.
• Adenine pairs with Thymine in DNA.
• Cytosine pairs with Guanine in DNA.
• DNA Replication involves the separation of the 2 strands of DNA, each strand receiving a new complementary strand based on the daughter strand, resulting in error or mutation.
• Central Dogma states that instructions in DNA are turned into Protein, with DNA being in the Nucleus and RNA being the messenger carrying the Ribosomes.
• Gene Expression (Transcription and Translation) involves the conversion of DNA information into mRNA (messenger RNA) in the nucleus during transcription, and the travel of mRNA from the nucleus to ribosome to be read and make specific proteins during translation.
• The embryo is implanted into the surrogate mother.
• Cloning is the process of making identical copies of organisms, cells or DNA sequences.
• Cloning made the headlines when Dolly the sheep came into the world, the first cloned mammal.
• Dolly the sheep was cloned using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), making her the first clone of an adult mammal.
• The embryos produced from embryo splitting are genetically identical clones of each other but not a clone of the parents.
• Embryo splitting is a method where an embryo up to 6 days old can be separated into single cells which can reform whole embryos.
• Naturally, asexual reproduction is a method of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes.
• Dolly was the only successful live birth after 277 tries.
• Cloning animals using SCNT involves transferring the somatic cell nucleus into the enucleated egg cell.
• Dolly was euthanized after 6 years as she had a progressive lung disease.
• People began to speculate if we can clone a sheep, then why not clone a human?
• Embryo cloning or embryo splitting is a method of cloning where cells are split apart from a developing embryo, before they become specialized, to produce several identical embryos.
• Nuclear transfer is a method of cloning where a body cell is transferred into an egg and then stimulated to produce an embryo.
• Cuttings are a method of cloning where a small piece of stem or leaf is taken and grown in the right conditions to produce a new plant.
• Tissue cloning is a method of cloning where a few cells from a desirable plant are taken to make a big mass of identical cells, each of which can produce a tiny identical plant.
• A Vector is a plasmid or virus that transfers a gene into a host cell.
• Genetic Engineering and Selective Breeding involve the modification of species by selecting favourable characteristics, providing us with improved crops and livestock, leading to disease resistance or improved milk yield, for example.
• Humans have been selectively breeding plants and animals for thousands of years to produce new varieties with increased yield, size and beneficial properties.
• Selective breeding or Artificial Selection has, for thousands of years, been modifying the gene pools of species by selecting favourable characteristics, providing us with improved crops and livestock, leading to disease resistance or improved milk yield, for example.
• Genetic engineering provides a faster way to modify species by directly transplanting genes for a desired characteristic into an organism.
• Humans have created hundreds (if not thousands) of varieties of different species, generally used for food, by selecting desirable characteristics in organisms and then cross-breeding with similar individuals.
• The MYP by Concept, Biology, Andrew Davis and Patricia Deo includes an example of Selective Breeding of Corn.
• Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism's genetic material through artificial means.