1.2.1 Manipulating DNA : The tools of the trade

Question 1

What is insulin and what does it do?

Answer 1

A hormone that tells the body to take up glucose from the blood

Question 2

Type I and II diabetics

Answer 2

All type I and many type II diabetics lack the ability to produce insulin in sufficient quantities , therefore the level of glucose can be dangerously high

Question 3

What can high glucose levels cause?

Answer 3

• acidic blood
• brain swelling
• damaging blood vessels leading to heart attack / stroke

Question 4

History of insulin

Answer 4

Insulin came from pigs. Pigs are in large supply and the structure of their insulin molecule is very similar to humans. Today human insulin is made in bacterial cells

Question 5

What tools do we need to manipulate DNA?

Answer 5

enzymes

Question 6

What is restriction endonuclease?

Answer 6

A bacterial enzyme that cuts DNA . They recognise a specific sequence of DNA and cut it at that sequence . They can cut it so there is a single strand of DNA hanging off ( sticky end ) or a straight cut

Question 7

What is a ligase?

Answer 7

Ligases join DNA together. Two DNA fragments can be bound together by the ligase holding them together.

Question 8

What is DNA polymerase?

Answer 8

It is like RNA polymerase but it makes a DNA copy of DNA.

It allows cells to copy DNA and split in two.

It can be used for PCR