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Questions and Answers
Which type of virus infects human nerve and epithelial cells?
Which type of virus infects human nerve and epithelial cells?
All viruses have a thin protein coat surrounding their nucleic acid core.
All viruses have a thin protein coat surrounding their nucleic acid core.
False
Name the type of nucleic acid in the HIV virus.
Name the type of nucleic acid in the HIV virus.
single-stranded RNA
Viruses that infect plants are categorized as ______ viruses.
Viruses that infect plants are categorized as ______ viruses.
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Which of the following viruses is known to infect mouse heart cells?
Which of the following viruses is known to infect mouse heart cells?
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Match the following viruses with their characteristics:
Match the following viruses with their characteristics:
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What is the shape of the Tobacco Mosaic virus?
What is the shape of the Tobacco Mosaic virus?
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Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect animal cells.
Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect animal cells.
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What is the primary characteristic of prokaryotic cells like E. coli?
What is the primary characteristic of prokaryotic cells like E. coli?
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Plasmids are large DNA molecules that contain essential genes for bacterial survival.
Plasmids are large DNA molecules that contain essential genes for bacterial survival.
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How many genes does the E. coli genome typically code for?
How many genes does the E. coli genome typically code for?
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Bacteria can transfer ______ between themselves.
Bacteria can transfer ______ between themselves.
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Match the following characteristics with their corresponding elements in bacteria:
Match the following characteristics with their corresponding elements in bacteria:
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Which organism has the highest number of genes listed?
Which organism has the highest number of genes listed?
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What does the DNA in a bacterium usually look like?
What does the DNA in a bacterium usually look like?
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All DNA from different organisms has identical sequences of nitrogenous bases.
All DNA from different organisms has identical sequences of nitrogenous bases.
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The entire E. coli genome contains a significant amount of spacer DNA.
The entire E. coli genome contains a significant amount of spacer DNA.
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What is the bond type called that links sugars and phosphates in nucleic acids?
What is the bond type called that links sugars and phosphates in nucleic acids?
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What are R plasmids known for?
What are R plasmids known for?
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An adenosine bonded to a _____ is an example of nitrogenous base pairing.
An adenosine bonded to a _____ is an example of nitrogenous base pairing.
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How many base pairs does Homo sapiens have?
How many base pairs does Homo sapiens have?
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Match the following organisms with their genome size in base pairs:
Match the following organisms with their genome size in base pairs:
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A hydrogen bond is a strong bond between nitrogenous bases.
A hydrogen bond is a strong bond between nitrogenous bases.
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What is the main feature that distinguishes DNA from different organisms?
What is the main feature that distinguishes DNA from different organisms?
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What is the purpose of adding phenol red to cell culture media?
What is the purpose of adding phenol red to cell culture media?
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Viral DNA is considered living due to its ability to infect host cells.
Viral DNA is considered living due to its ability to infect host cells.
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What changes occur to phenol red in response to acidic conditions?
What changes occur to phenol red in response to acidic conditions?
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Viruses that infect bacteria are referred to as __________.
Viruses that infect bacteria are referred to as __________.
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Why do mammalian cell cultures need to be reseeded?
Why do mammalian cell cultures need to be reseeded?
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Viruses are larger than mammalian cells.
Viruses are larger than mammalian cells.
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What role do nonpathogenic viruses play in biotechnology?
What role do nonpathogenic viruses play in biotechnology?
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Match the following components with their roles:
Match the following components with their roles:
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What is added to laundry detergent to remove proteinaceous stains?
What is added to laundry detergent to remove proteinaceous stains?
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Gene therapy involves introducing new genes using a synthetic lipid envelope or a virus.
Gene therapy involves introducing new genes using a synthetic lipid envelope or a virus.
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What type of mutations can result from treating fungi with chemicals?
What type of mutations can result from treating fungi with chemicals?
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The enzyme rSubtilisin is a type of __________ that helps in removing protein stains from clothing.
The enzyme rSubtilisin is a type of __________ that helps in removing protein stains from clothing.
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Match the following terms with their descriptions:
Match the following terms with their descriptions:
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What can happen as an outcome of mutagenesis?
What can happen as an outcome of mutagenesis?
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The main goal of gene therapy is to enhance the mutations in a gene.
The main goal of gene therapy is to enhance the mutations in a gene.
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Name one method used to deliver a new gene into target cells in gene therapy.
Name one method used to deliver a new gene into target cells in gene therapy.
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What is the function of RNA polymerase in gene expression?
What is the function of RNA polymerase in gene expression?
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Structural genes can code for one or more mRNA molecules.
Structural genes can code for one or more mRNA molecules.
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What is the role of the promoter region in gene expression?
What is the role of the promoter region in gene expression?
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The _____ region is where the RNA polymerase begins the transcription process.
The _____ region is where the RNA polymerase begins the transcription process.
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Match the following components of the operon with their functions:
Match the following components of the operon with their functions:
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What happens at the ribosome during protein synthesis?
What happens at the ribosome during protein synthesis?
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The operator region turns genetic expression ON and OFF.
The operator region turns genetic expression ON and OFF.
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What is produced during the transcription process?
What is produced during the transcription process?
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Study Notes
Molecular Biologist/Associate Professor
- Paul D. Kaufman, PhD
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
- Studies how eukaryotic cells assemble chromosomes and their function.
- Focuses on chromatin (DNA and protein complexes in the nucleus).
- Research includes proteins used in yeast and human cells to deposit histone proteins onto DNA.
- Also investigates enzymes that chemically modify histone structure and function.
- Main responsibilities include: scientific discovery, conducting experiments, training graduate students, supervising postdoctoral fellows, reviewing experiments, suggesting improvements, writing papers and grants, reading scientific literature, attending research seminars, and presenting research results at scientific meetings.
Introduction to Studying DNA
- Describes the structure and function of DNA, its encoding of proteins, and molecular modeling in studying biomolecules.
- Explains eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic chromosomal structures and their impact on gene regulation.
- Discusses bacterial cultures in liquid and solid media and sterilisation techniques.
- Covers virus characteristics and their importance in genetic engineering.
- Explains fundamental genetic engineering processes including recombinant DNA technology, site-specific mutagenesis, and gene therapy.
- Describes gel electrophoresis and how molecule characteristics affect migration.
DNA Structure and Function
- The biotechnology industry grew due to methods to transfer DNA between cells and to manipulate them for specific proteins.
- DNA and RNA codes are central to biotechnology research and development.
- Genetic information is stored in DNA molecules (Figure 4.1).
- DNA sequences are transcribed into RNA messages. RNA sequence determines amino acids in proteins (Figure 4.2).
- The Central Dogma of Biology explains how genetic codes are converted into structures and functions (Figure 4.2).
- Many biotechnological efforts modify DNA molecules to affect protein production.
- Proteins can be the desired product (e.g., insulin).
- Regulatory proteins are needed for necessary cellular functions.
- The number of genes in humans is about 20,000 to 25,000, directing over 2000 different protein types in one cell.
- The total genome size varies, but each cell in a given organism has the same genome, except sex cells (Table 4.1).
Similarities in DNA Molecules Among Organisms
- All DNA is made of four nucleotides (adenosine deoxynucleotide—A, guanosine deoxynucleotide—G, cytosine deoxynucleotide—C, and thymine deoxynucleotide—T, Figure 4.3a-d).
- Virtually all DNA forms a double helix (two sides) of repeating nucleotides, several million bp in length. Nucleotides connect other nucleotides in the strand via strong phosphodiester bonds between sugars and phosphates (Figure 4.4 a-d).
- Hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between nitrogen bases on complementary strands hold the double helix together (Figure 4.4a-d).
- Adenine bonds with Thymine (A-T), and Guanine bonds with Cytosine (G-C).
- Nucleotides are stacked 0.34 nanometers (nm) apart with 10 nitrogen bases per complete turn.
Sizes of Genomes in Organisms
- Data is shown comparing numbers of genes and sizes of the genomes (in bp) for different organisms (Table 4.1).
Variations in DNA Molecules
- Variations exist in DNA molecules between organisms regarding the following: the number of DNA strands (chromosomes), the length in base pairs, the number and type of genes and non-coding regions, and the shape (circular or linear chromosomes).
Prokaryotic DNA
- Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles (Figure 4.7).
- Bacterial DNA is usually one long, circular molecule floating in the cytoplasm, often attached at one point to the membrane.
- Some bacteria have extra small rings of DNA called plasmids (Figure 4.8). Plasmids contain a few genes that code for additional characteristics for survival.
- The transfer of plasmids among bacteria can lead to antibiotic resistance or other new characteristics.
Viral DNA
- Viruses are collections of protein and nucleic acid molecules active within a cell (Figure 4.21).
- They are very tiny, from 25 to 250 nm in size.
- Viruses are classified based on the type of cell they attack: bacterial, plant, or animal.
- Viral DNA or RNA is relatively short and easy to manipulate.
- Recombinant viruses can carry "therapeutic" genes, or correct genes, into cells to treat certain genetic disorders.
Using Gel Electrophoresis to Study Molecules
- Gel electrophoresis separates charged molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, based on size, shape, and charge.
- Agarose is a frequently used gel material for DNA.
- Samples are loaded into gel wells.
- An electric field is applied. Negatively charged molecules (e.g., DNA, RNA) move towards the positive end.
- Molecular size affects rate of movement; smaller fragments move faster.
- DNA stains (like ethidium bromide) that fluoresce under UV light are used to visualize separated molecules.
Running and Visualizing Gels
- Gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments (Figure 4.29).
- DNA stains allow for visualisation under UV light (Figure 4.34).
- DNA bands appear on a gel and approximate sizes are found based on the comparison with sizing standards (Figure 4.35).
Additional topics
- Recombinant DNA technology
- Site-specific mutagenesis
- Gene therapy
- Human cell culture
- Mammalian cell culture
- Viral DNA
- Further topics on how to use bioinformatics tools are also covered.
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Description
Test your knowledge on viruses and bacteria with this quiz! Questions cover various aspects, including the types of viruses, characteristics of bacteria, and specific examples such as HIV and E. coli. Challenge yourself to see how well you understand microbial life.