Isolating Target Genes

Question 1

describe how a restriction enzyme isolates a target gene

Answer 1

• Restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific palindromic restriction sites
• leaving sticky ends (either side of a target gene)

Question 2

what is reverse transcriptase?

mRNA —>

Answer 2

an enzyme which performs transcription backwards

mRNA —> cDNA (complementary DNA)

Question 3

what does cDNA have none of?

Answer 3

complementaryDNA has no introns

Question 4

describe the function of a gene machine

Answer 4

• artificially synthesises genes by joining nucleotides to make oligonucleotides
• these oligonucleotides are joined to form a synthetic gene