Part+Four

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP's)

 DESCRIBE IT: RFLP's is a difference between samples of
===homologous DNA molecules. These molecules come from different restriction enzyme sites. RFLP's shows differences in homologous DNA sequences. The DNA sequences can be found by the presence of fragments of different lengths. Scientists discovered you can use the southern blotting method to detect RFLP's. RFLP's also serve as genetic markers ===

===ANALYZE IT: RFLP's are specific to a single clone or restriction enzyme combination. They need activity from the restriction endonucleases. These endonucleases provide protection against DNA that is not needed and they break it into pieces. RFLP's can occur in either coding or noncoding areas of the DNA. RFLP's have a target sequence which is any segment of DNA that bind to a probe by creating base pairs that are complementary. When the probe base pairs to the target, we are able to detect the binding therefore figuring out where the target sequence is. ===

===APPLY IT: RFLP's can be used to show weather or not you have a disease or if they have a risk of developing a disease. If an SNP marker is found an abnormal allele can be diagnosed. The marker and the gene are almost always inherited together so this means if you know what the marker is it will be much easier to discover if the disease is being carried. Also RFLP's can be used to determine who is the parent of a child by extracting the white blood cells, then using RFLP analysis. RFLP's can be used to measure recombination rates which can lead to a genetic map. This map will have the distance between RFLP loci. ===

===SYNTHESIZE IT: RFLP's are like a detective because they help us figure out if someone has some sort of disease, just like a detective helps figure out a crime. ===

===ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST IT: I personally am for RFLP's because if they can help figure out if you have some sort of genetic disease it is a great idea. By using RFLP's diseases are discovered which can help you take action in preventing a certain disease developing into you. Also RFLP's can be used to determine who is the parent of a child, which is extremely important. ===

SOURCES: http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/gepts/pb143/lec05/rflp.gif
GENE THERAPY

===DESCRIBE IT: Gene therapy inserts genes into a gene of a person with a certain type of disease to treat the disease. The genes are inserted into the certain somatic cells of the afflicted individual. The cells that multiply throughout a persons life are the ones that the normal allele is inserted into. A vector is used to put the therapeutic gene into the persons cells. ===

===ANALYZE IT: In gene therapy a vector is genetically engineered to deliver the gene. Viruses are used as vectors because they can put the new gene into the infecting cell. These special viruses can't cause disease. Injection or IV's are how vectors are injected into the body. Successful treatments will make a functioning protein. ===

===APPLY IT: There are two types of gene therapy, one being germ line gene therapy and the other being somatic gene therapy. In germ line gene therapy functional genes are inserted into their genomes. In this therapy it is heritable so more than likely the disorders will not be passed on to further generations. The next type of gene therapy is somatic gene therapy. In this therapy therapeutic genes are transferred into the somatic cells. In this type of therapy it can not be inherited by the parents children. ===

===ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST IT: Personally I am for gene therapy because it can people people with certain diseases. I think it is very helpful because people wouldn't be living in misery all their lives if there was a way to solve their disorder by gene therapy. Gene therapy can help cure disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. ===

SOURCES: http://gene-therapy.yolasite.com/resources/Gene_therapy.jpg?timestamp=1270174470302
= Transgenic Animals =

=== DESCRIBE IT: Mice were the first animals that scientists began experimenting with. They provided the tools for exploring many biological questions. There are two methods for producing transgenic mice. Transforming embryonic stem cells growing in the tissue culture with desired DNA or injecting the desired gene into the pronucleus of a fertilized mouse egg. ===

=== ANALYZE IT: Transgenic animals are those who have been inserted with a foreign gene. The foreign gene is constructed using Recombinant DNA methodology. Recombinant DNA is DNA that is artificially made. DNA includes other sequences to enable it to incorporated into the DNA of the host cell and be expressed correctly by the cells. It then must be transmitted through the germ line so that every cell, including germ cells, of the animal contain the same modified genetic material. ===

=== APPLY: Some transgenic animals are produced for specific economic traits. This could help lead to the treatment of human diseases. Others are produced as disease models to exhibit disease symptoms so that treatment can be studied. ===

=== SYNTHESIZE: Transgenic animals can be compared to copying and pasting on the computer. This process is when you copy a gene from and animal and put in in another animal and when you copy and paste something on the computer you are copying a sentence and moving it to another place. ===

=== ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST IT: I don't think this is a bad thing to do because a transgenic animal is one that has had its DNA manipulated to express a foreign gene supplied by another organism. There are many different animals that have been produced for a wide range of applications in medicine, industry and agriculture. ===

RESOURCE:
[|Transgenic Animal Animation]

SOURCE:
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/margawati.html

=== DESCRIBE IT: There are many different methods in translating genes to plants. Some include infecting plasmids and vectors carrying the desired gene and shooting microscope pellets directly into the cell. Plasmids are molecules of DNA that are found in bacteria. Using recombinant DNA, progress being is being made into new traits in plants. ===

=== ANALYZE IT: Transgenic plants have genes inserted into them that are taken from another species. The inserted genes can come from species within the same kingdom or between kingdoms. In many cases the inserted DNA has to be modified slightly in order to correctly and efficiently express in the host organism. ===

=== APPLY IT: Transgenic plants have been developed for a variety of reasons like longer shelf life, disease resistance, pest resistance, and improving product quality. There are many issues that surround the use of transgenic crops. ===

===SYNTHESIZE: Transgenic plants are also like copying and pasting on the computer because in this process you take genes from one plant and put them in another plant. Transgenic plants are much simpler than transgenic animals. ===

===<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST IT: I think transgenic plants are very useful because they have improved nutritional quality in plants. Some crops like rice are higher in vitamin A and contains more nutrition than original. Through recombinant DNA methods, the toxin can be introduced directly into the genome where it's expressed and then provides protection against insect pests of the plants. Genes that provide resistance against viruses have been introduced in crops like tobacco and tomatoes. ===

=== DESCRIBE IT: DNA profiling uses repetitive sequences that are in high variables. This process starts by getting a sample of DNA from the individual. Some other methods may be used to get a sample of blood, saliva, or any tissue from personal items. The DNA sample is compared to another sample to see if they're a genetic match. ===

=== ANALYZE IT: DNA profiling are sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier. For finding out DNA profiling, the first method involved is restriction enzyme digestion. It can provide information about a person's genes and chromosomes throughout life. We each have our own unique DNA profile. Electrophoresis is used to obtain DNA profiles. ===

=== APPLY IT: This can be used in parent testing and crime investigation. Genetic profiles can also be used for newborn screening, carrier testing, and prenatal testing. It is now the basis of several national DNA databases. ===

=== ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST IT: Genetic profiling has a lot of advantages which include help seeing and predicting medical conditions in children, it can let someone know by their genes if they should watch something like heart disease, or it can also help with crime investigations. ===