Biotechnology Fundamentals

Biotechnology

• Biotechnology course outline covers introduction to biotechnology, fundamental principles, genetic engineering techniques, omics sciences, and biotechnology applications.

Fundamental Principles of Biotechnology

• DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix.
• Rosalind Franklin obtained images of DNA using X-ray crystallography in 1953, allowing James Watson and Francis Crick to create the famous double-helix model.

Watson-Crick Model of DNA

• The DNA structure consists of a right-handed double helix.
• The hydrophilic backbone of alternating deoxyribose and phosphate groups faces outwards and interacts with H2O.
• Purine and pyrimidine bases are hydrophobic and stacked inside the double helix, stabilized by hydrophobic interactions and perpendicular to the long axis.
• Base pairing occurs due to hydrogen bond interactions, where a purine pairs with a pyrimidine (A-T and C-G).
• A and G are long (double-ring purines), while C and T are short (single-ring pyrimidines).
• Each base pair needs one long and one short nucleotide.
• C-G has three hydrogen bonds, while A-T has two hydrogen bonds.
• DNA strands interact in an antiparallel orientation with complementary sequences.
• The stacked bases are 3.4 Å apart.
• The base pairing of the two strands creates a major groove and a minor groove on the surface of the duplex.

Gene and Genome

• A gene is a stretch of information in the sequence that encodes for a particular function (usually a protein or RNA sequence).
• There are approximately 20,000 genes in humans.
• Genes are typically 1000s of nucleotides long.
• Genes can be expressed (used to make proteins) or repressed (not used).
• Regions of DNA are divided into coding and non-coding segments, with over 50% of human DNA being non-coding.
• The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism is called the genome.
• In bacteria, the genome is usually circular.
• The genome in eukaryotes is organized into chromosomes.
• Each chromosome is a separate DNA molecule.
• Human cells contain 46 chromosomes (23 each from mother and father).
• Chromosomes are extended and replicated during interphase, and condensed during cell division.
• DNA wraps around protein "spools" to form nucleosomes.
• Nucleosomes are made of histone proteins.

This quiz covers the fundamental principles of biotechnology, including the structure of DNA and genetic engineering techniques. Test your knowledge of the basics of biotechnology!