10b: Biotechnology

• Biotechnology: the use of living organisms to solve problems and make useful products
• selective breeding: breeders mate two parent organisms to produce an offspring with a desired trait (hybridization and inbreeding)
• hybridization: crossing two individuals with different desirable traits to get a blend of traits
• inbreeding: offspring produced are mated with each other to enhance a desirable trait
• genetic engineering: purposely altering an organisms genetic information in order to remove undesirable traits or increase/add desirable ones
• genetic engineering purposes: medicine (insulin), improving crops (better nourishment), and forensics (crime scene DNA)
• human genome

  the total DNA present in the nucleus of each cell
• genome: complete map or sequence of an organisms DNA
• Recombinant DNA

  DNA tools are used to manipulate and isolate genes
• Restriction Enzymes: recognize and bind to certain DNA sequences and cleave/cut within that sequence
• Sticky ends: ends of the DNA fragments that contain single stranded DNA that is complementary and can be joined with other DNA fragments
• Plasmid: circular form of DNA in bacteria
• scientists remove bacterial plasmid and insert the desired human gene and then the modified plasmid is reinserted into the bacterial cell
• Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP): a protein in the jellyfish Aequorea Victoria that exhibits green fluorescence when exposed to light (useful visual marker used to monitor gene expression and protein localization)
• recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH): produced in large quantities and widely used in a number of countries worldwide to stimulate milk production in dairy animals
• PCR: polymerase chain reaction

  • used to copy a DNA sample so that there is more for testing
• Gel electrophoresis: DNA fingerprinting (DNA profiling) is a laboratory technique used to identify an organism based on their DNA profile
• Gel electrophoresis: is the process of creating a DNA profile using an electrical current to separate DNA fragments into a barcode
• DNA moves in an electric field towards positive ends because DNA is negatively charged

  Size of fragment affects how far it travels (smaller fragments travel farther)
• DNA Fingerprinting: produces a pattern of dark bands that is unique for each individual
• Cloning: creating an exact copy of a living organism (organisms will have identical DNA, but they wont actually BE identical)
• any organism which can produce offspring on its own is producing clones (asexual)
• cloning: creating an exact copy of a living organism (Identical DNA)
• cloned offspring don't always look identical, because the environment plays a role in the development
• GMOs: genetically modified organisms
• gene splicing/selective breeding
• CRISPR: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
• CRISPR: cuts DNA or alters the base sequence of DNA