Research a genetic disease that may be cured through the use of genetic engineering. What techniques are being explored to correct the problem? How do concerns of designer embryos stem from this technology?
Transformation, conjugation, and transduction were discovered in the laboratory. How important are these mechanisms of genetic recombination in nature?
Use the internet to investigate DNA fingerprinting. What is this process, and how is it used in criminal forensics?
Which DNA bases pair with each other?
How is DNA information used to make proteins?
What is the purpose of the following reagents in the experiment:
a. Salt (in the DNA Extraction Solution):
b. Detergent (in the DNA Extraction Solution):
What else might be in the ethanol/aqueous interface? How could you eliminate this?
What is the texture and consistency of the DNA?
Is the DNA soluble in the aqueous solution or alcohol?
How can DNA be fragmented into very specific sections?
Where do restriction enzymes come from? What is their function in nature?
How do molecules of varying sizes separate in electrophoresis? What is the purpose of the gel? What about the electricity?
Investigate one way in which electrophoresis is used in medicine today. Write one or two paragraphs to explain your findings.
What is the expected size of the plasmid plus the cut foreign DNA?
What type of ends do the enzymes BamHI and EcoRI produce? How does this type of end facilitate cloning?
What enzyme is necessary to permanently link the digested foreign and plasmid DNA together to form the recombinant DNA molecule? How does this enzyme work?
How would you clone a gene into a plasmid if there were no common restriction sites between the two DNA sequences?
What is in each of the unknown samples?
Why is electrical current necessary to separate molecules using electrophoresis?
Why is agar an appropriate medium to use for separating molecules? Research another type of gel and provide a brief explanation regarding why it could be used rather than an agar gel?
What is the charge of the samples? What do you think would happen if the molecules held the opposite charge?
How is electrophoresis similar to, and different from, chromatography?