Textbook Question
Which of the following sequences in double-stranded DNA is most likely to be recognized as a cutting site for a restriction enzyme?
a. AAGG TTCC
b. GGCC CCGG
c. ACCA TGGT
d. AAAA TTTT
Ch. 20 - DNA Tools and Biotechnology
Urry11th EditionCampbell BiologyISBN: 9789357423311
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry8
- Ch. 2 - The Chemical Context of Life8
- Ch. 3 - Water and Life6
- Ch. 4 - Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life9
- Ch. 5 - The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules9
- Ch. 6 - A Tour of the Cell6
- Ch. 7 - Membrane Structure and Function6
- Ch. 8 - An Introduction to Metabolism6
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation10
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis7
- Ch. 11 - Cell Communication7
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle10
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles10
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene Idea14
- Ch, 15 - The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance7
- Ch. 16 - The Molecular Basis of Inheritance9
- Ch. 17 - Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein9
- Ch. 18 - Regulation of Gene Expression10
- Ch. 19 - Viruses6
- Ch. 20 - DNA Tools and Biotechnology8
- Ch. 21 - Genomes and Their Evolution8
- Ch. 22 - Descent with Modification: A Darwininan View of Life6
- Ch. 23 - The Evolution of Populations5
- Ch. 24 - The Origin of Species6
- Ch. 25 - The History of Life on Earth6
- Ch. 26 - Phylogeny and the Tree of Life7
- Ch. 27 - Bacteria and Archaea8
- Ch. 28 - Protists7
- Ch. 29 - Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land7
- Ch. 30 - Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants7
- Ch. 31 - Fungi5
- Ch. 32 - An Overview of Animal Diversity4
- Ch. 33 - An introduction to Invertebrates6
- Ch. 34 - The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates7
- Ch. 35 - Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development8
- Ch. 36 - Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants8
- Ch. 37 - Soil and Plant Nutrition10
- Ch. 38 - Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology8
- Ch. 39 - Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals8
- Ch. 40 - Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function8
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition7
- Ch. 42 - Circulation and Gas Exchange7
- Ch. 43 - The Immune System6
- Ch. 44 - Osmoregulation and Excretion6
- Ch. 45 - Hormones and the Endocrine System8
- Ch. 46 - Animal Reproduction8
- Ch. 47 - Animal Development8
- Ch. 48 - Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling6
- Ch. 49 - Nervous Systems8
- Ch. 50 - Sensory and Motor Mechanisms5
- Ch. 51 Animal Behavior6
- Ch. 52 - An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere7
- Ch. 53 - Population Ecology10
- Ch. 54 - Community Ecology9
- Ch. 55 - Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology8
- Ch. 56 - Conservation Biology and Global Change6
Chapter 20, Problem 6
Which of the following is not true of cDNA produced using human brain tissue as the starting material?
a. It can be amplified by the polymerase chain reaction.
b. It was produced from pre-mRNA using reverse transcriptase.
c. It can be labeled and used as a probe to detect genes expressed in the brain.
d. It lacks the introns of the pre-mRNA.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand what cDNA is: cDNA, or complementary DNA, is synthesized from an mRNA template using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. This process involves converting the RNA sequence into a DNA sequence.
Consider the role of reverse transcriptase: Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that synthesizes cDNA from an RNA template. This means that cDNA is derived from mature mRNA, which does not contain introns, as introns are removed during RNA processing.
Evaluate option a: cDNA can indeed be amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) because it is a DNA sequence, and PCR is a technique used to amplify DNA.
Evaluate option b: cDNA is produced from mature mRNA, not pre-mRNA. Pre-mRNA contains introns, which are spliced out to form mature mRNA before reverse transcription occurs.
Evaluate option c and d: cDNA can be labeled and used as a probe to detect gene expression, and it lacks introns because it is synthesized from mature mRNA. Therefore, option b is not true because cDNA is not produced from pre-mRNA.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
cDNA and Reverse Transcriptase
cDNA, or complementary DNA, is synthesized from an mRNA template using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. This process involves converting the single-stranded RNA into double-stranded DNA, which is crucial for studying gene expression. cDNA lacks introns because it is derived from processed mRNA, which has already undergone splicing to remove introns.
Recommended video:
Guided course
04:16
1) Initiation of Transcription
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique used to amplify specific DNA sequences, making millions of copies from a small initial sample. This method is essential for analyzing small amounts of DNA, such as cDNA, allowing for further study or use in various applications like cloning or sequencing. PCR requires primers, nucleotides, and a DNA polymerase enzyme to replicate the target DNA.
Recommended video:
Guided course
01:31Introduction to Polymerase Chain Reaction
Gene Expression and Probes
Gene expression refers to the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize functional gene products like proteins. cDNA can be labeled with radioactive or fluorescent tags to serve as probes, which are used to detect specific gene sequences in various samples. This technique helps identify which genes are active in particular tissues, such as the brain, by hybridizing the labeled cDNA to complementary sequences.
Recommended video:
Guided course
06:40Introduction to Regulation of Gene Expression
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Expression of a cloned eukaryotic gene in a bacterial cell involves many challenges. The use of mRNA and reverse transcriptase is part of a strategy to solve the problem of
a. Post-transcriptional processing.
b. Post-translational processing.
c. Nucleic acid hybridization.
d. Restriction fragment ligation.
Textbook Question
Plants are more readily manipulated by genetic engineering than are animals because
a. Plant genes do not contain introns.
b. More vectors are available for transferring recombinant DNA into plant cells.
c. A somatic plant cell can often give rise to a complete plant.
d. Plant cells have larger nuclei.
Textbook Question
DNA technology has many medical applications. Which of the following is not done routinely at present?
a. Production of hormones for treating diabetes and dwarfism
b. Analysis of gene expression for more informed cancer treatments
c. Gene editing by the CRISPR-Cas9 system in viable human embryos to correct genetic diseases
d. Prenatal identification of genetic disease alleles
Textbook Question
A paleontologist has recovered a bit of tissue from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo (a bird). To compare a specific region of the DNA from a sample with DNA from living birds, which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of dodo DNA available for testing?
a. SNP analysis
b. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
c. Electroporation
d. Gel electrophoresis