life edu.org

1
Issues in Biotechnology The Way We Work With
Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.org
OnCampus Live BCH 190, MIC 190, AFS 190, NRS 190,
PLS 190 OnLine BCH 190
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and
Biotechnology A Public Access College Course
The
University of Rhode Island
Issues in Biotechnology Biotechnology, Our
Society and Our Future
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Issues in Biotechnology The Way We Work With
Life Dr. Albert Kausch Kimberly Nelson
BCH 190
Section I. The Mechanics of DNA What is
Life? Section II. The Applications of
Biotechnology
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and
Biotechnology A Public Access College Course
The
University of Rhode Island
life edu.org
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Issues in Biotechnology The Way We Work With
Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.org
The Mechanics of DNA What is Life? 3.Atoms,
Cells and Flow of Life 4. Some Techniques in
Biotechnology
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and
Biotechnology
The University of Rhode Island
The Flow of Life The Techniques in
Biotechnology Lectures 34
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Issues in Biotechnology The Way We Work With
Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch
life edu.org
The Mechanics of DNA What is Life? 4. Some
Techniques in Biotechnology
A Sweeping General Survey on Life and
Biotechnology
The University of Rhode Island
The Techniques in Biotechnology Lecture 4
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Proteins Are Used to Copy DNA

• DNA does not replicate spontaneously, but is
  facilitated by a group of proteins.
• Interestingly, each of these proteins is coded
  for in DNA they also replicate.

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Enzymes were discovered that cut DNA at specific
sequences
And subsequently, enzymes were discovered that
paste DNA together.
The ability to cut and paste DNA allowed gene
cloning.
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Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA
found in some bacteria

• Many copies per cell
• Antibiotic resistance gene
• Plasmids can be cut and pasted back together
• Foreign genes can be inserted

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How is a gene cloned?
Foreign DNA (gene) is inserted into a plasmid
that has a gene for antibiotic resistance The
plasmid is introduced into a bacterial cell and
grown on the antibiotic Only bacteria with the
plasmid growthe inserted gene is copied many
times.
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Gene Construction
Promoter
Coding Sequence
Terminator
Protein coding sequence
Cell specificity Developmental specificity Start
transcription
Stop transcription Message stability
Gene constructs can be moved into plants and the
gene is expressed driven by the promoter sequence
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It is now possible to clone any gene from any
organism and move it into any other organism
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Tools and Techniques used in Biotechnology
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The ultracentrifuge is a centrifuge optimized for
spinning a rotor at very high speeds, capable of
generating acceleration as high as 2,000,000 G
(approx 19 600 km/s²). Ultracentrifuges find
important uses in molecular biology, biochemistry
and polymer science, including separation of
cellular structures and molecules
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Tools of the Trade
The eppendorf tube and the pipetman are the
standard stock and trade in the daily work of a
molecular biologist
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Innovative technologies become biotech
products
Eppendorf tubes And Pipetteman For the Gold Rush
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A child came to me and said What is the grass?
fetching it to me
with full hands how could I answer the child?
I do not know what it is any more than
he. Whitman
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20. A Pipetman is (A) the new biomedical
device made by tissue engineering and now used to
treat the damaged blood vessels of heart attack
victims (B) a radical group of bioengineered
superheroes in the Hollywood movie GATTACCA (C)
a molecular biology tool used in the lab to
measure small volumes of liquid common in
biotechnology (D) a new type of bio-engineered
crop plants that are drought tolerant (E) a new
surgical tool used in to extract cancer cells
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 21. An ultracentrifuge consists of a rotor that
spins tubes containing materials and is   (A) a
component on a new type of microscope to allow
cell components to be easily visualized (B) the
laboratory tool developed by Robert Hooke in the
1660s that he used to discover cells (C) a tool
used by cell biologists for separating and
comparing cell components based on size and
density (D) a component on the recent Rover Mars
mission used to look for life on other planets
(E) used only to enrich uranium for nuclear
warheads  
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 22. Cloning a gene   (A) is a method that has
been banned in Europe but widely used in the US
(B) is a method used to copy a specific segment
of DNA (C) is a method used to reproduce an
entire new organism from a donor cell, like (D)
is a science fiction idea that has not yet been
accomplished or proven (E) is a good idea in
theory, but has not yet been accomplished  
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 23. The atomic number of carbon is 6. Its
nucleus must contain   (A) 6 neutrons and 6
protons. (B) 3 protons and 3 neutrons. (C) 6
neutrons and no electrons. (D) 6 protons and no
electrons. (E) 6 protons and 6 electrons  
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 24. A covalent bond is formed when   (A) two
non-polar molecules associate with each other in
a polar environment. (B) a positively charged
particle is attracted to a negatively charged
particle. (C) one atom gives up electrons to
another atom. (D) two atoms share electrons. (E)
two polar molecules associate with each other in
a non- polar environment.  
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25. Enzymes are usually   (A) proteins (B)
carbohydrates (C) helpful bacteria (D) Only
available in health food stores (E) none of
these answers are correct  
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26. Changing one amino acid within a protein
could change what about that protein?   (A) the
primary structure of the protein (B) the overall
shape of the protein (C) the function of the
protein itself (D) the sequence of amino acids
specified in the DNA sequence called a gene (E)
all of the above  
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27. A shortage of phosphorus would make it
difficult for an organism to manufacture (A)
DNA (B) proteins (C) cellulose (D) fats (E) none
of these answers are correct  
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 28. Which of the following is not a chemical
reaction?   (A) Sugar and oxygen combine to form
carbon dioxide and water (B) sodium metal and
chlorine gas unite to form sodium chloride (C)
hydrogen gas combines with oxygen to form
water (D) Ice melts to form liquid water (E) none
of these answers are correct  
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29. The chemical units of information in DNA
are   (A) ATGC (B) UAGC (C) DAMN (D) RNAI
(E) XYZQ  
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30. In DNA replication an (A) adenine always
pairs with   (A) cytosine (C) (B) thymidine
(T) (C) guanine (G) (D) tyrosine (E)
monosodium glutamate  
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31. Observation of and wonder at the workings of
nature are what initiate why and how type
questions. Science is a system of (A) relying
on ones best intuition, inspiration and
perspiration to solve problems (B) advertising
as a devious enterprise conceived by
entrepreneurial western capitalists to make money
from the ideas of inventive and often eccentric
minds (C) making theories that fit certain
beliefs about why and how things happen (D)
hypothesis making about the mysteries of life (E)
hypothesis making and testing to discern and
validate observable facts
 
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32. Water can absorb and store a large amount of
heat while increasing only a few degrees in
temperature. Why?   (A) The heat must first be
used to break the hydrogen bonds rather than
raise the temperature. (B) The heat must first
be used to break the ionic bonds rather than
raise the temperature. (C) The heat must first
be used to break the covalent bonds rather than
raise the temperature. (D) An increase in
temperature causes an increase in adhesion of the
water. (E) An increase in temperature causes an
increase in cohesion of the water.  
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33. Water is split during photosynthesis is
plants to yield what to compounds?   (A) methane
gas and carbon dioxide (B) oxygen and water (C)
hydrogen and oxygen. (D) sugars and proteins (E)
RNA and DNA