8.3 Using genome projects

Question 1

what is the genome

Answer 1

the complete set of genetic information contained in the cells of an organism

Question 2

what is genome sequencing

Answer 2

identifying the DNA base sequence of an individual

this allows us to determine the amino acid sequence of the polypeptides coded for by that DNA

Question 3

what is the proteome

Answer 3

the complete set of proteins that can be produced by a cell

Question 4

can we directly translate the genome into a proteome

Answer 4

YES in a single organism

in complex organisms due to presence of non-coding DNA and regulatory genes it is much harder to obtain the proteome

Question 5

give an application of sequencing the proteome in simple organisms

Answer 5

identifying potential antigens for use in vaccine production

Question 6

give some applications of genome sequencing

Answer 6

• comparing genomes between species to determine evolutionary relationships
• genetic matching
• personalised medicine
• synthetic biology

Question 7

how have sequencing methods changed over time

Answer 7

used to be manual process however now it has become automated a reaction mixture is created and after the process is complete a machine reads the base sequence