Genetic engineering notes
Steps to do genetic engineering:
1) cut the DNA containing the desired gene away from the genes surrounding it
(in this step you are isolating a gene from the whole DNA strand)
2) Find a way to combine that gene with a piece of DNA from the recipient organism
(in this step you are making recombinant DNA)
3) Insert the combined DNA into the new organism
(in this step you are inserting DNA)
4) You would need to be able to read the sequences of bases in order to analyze the genes you are manipulating
(in this step you are sequencing the DNA)
Restriction Enzymes- a protein that can cut DNA at a specific sequence
Plasmids- small ring-shaped segments of DNA in bacteria. Plasmids can be removed from bacterial cells and cut with the same restriction enzyme used to produce the DNA fragments containing the desired gene
Recombinant DNA- new DNA that is created by recombining DNA fragments containing the desired gene and the cut plasmids
Clone- a group of genetically identical organisms produced by the division of a single cell. A clone is a large number of cells grown from a single cell.