DNA Technology

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Steps in Copying DNA

The DNA is heated to separate the two strands

Primers, short pieces of DNA complementary to the ends of the molecule to be copied, are added

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Copying DNA

The tube is cooled, and DNA polymerase adds new bases to the separated strands

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PCR

Large amounts of DNA can be made from a small starting sample

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Cloning

Clone- a member of a group of genetically identical cells

May be produced by asexual reproduction (mitosis)

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Cloning organisms

A body cell from one organism and an egg cell from another are fused

The resulting cell divides like a normal embryo

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Cloning “Dolly”

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Human Genome Project

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Human Genome Project

Started in 1990

Research effort to sequence all of our DNA (46 chromosomes)

Over 3.3 billion nucleotides

Mapping every gene location (loci)

Conducted by scientists around the world

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HGP Insights

Only 2% of human genome codes for proteins (exons)

Other 98% (introns) are non-coding

Only about 20,000 to 25,000 genes (expected 100,000)

Proteome – organism’s complete set of proteins

About 8 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) – places where humans differ by a single nucleotide

About ½ of genome comes from transposons (pieces of DNA that move to different locations on chromosomes)

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Benefits of Human Genome Project

Improvements in medical prevention of disease, gene therapies, diagnosis techniques …

Production of useful protein products for use in medicine, agriculture, bioremediation and pharmaceutical industries.

Improved bioinformatics – using computers to help in DNA sequencing …

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Benefits of Genetic Engineering

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Biotechnology -

The use of gene science to create new products from plants and animals

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