18. Biotechnology

The possibility of extensive genetic testing raises questions about how personal genetic information should be used. Is there any reason for the government to keep genetic files?

Genetic profiles are used to determine whether Sam could be the father of Becky's baby. Sam is not the father if __________ genetic profile shows some bands not present in __________ genetic profile.

Genetic profiles used as evidence in a murder trial look something like supermarket bar codes. The pattern of bars in a genetic profile shows __________.

Imagine you have found a small quantity of DNA. Fill in the following diagram, which outlines a series of DNA technology experiments you could perform to study this DNA. a. b. c. d. e.

The DNA profiles used as evidence in a murder trial look something like supermarket bar codes. The pattern of bars in a DNA profile showsa. the order of bases in a particular gene.b. the presence of various-sized fragments of DNA.c. the presence of dominant or recessive alleles for particular traits.d. the order of genes along particular chromosomes.

A paleontologist has recovered a bit of tissue from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo (a bird). To compare a specific region of the DNA from a sample with DNA from living birds, which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of dodo DNA available for testing?a. SNP analysisb. polymerase chain reaction (PCR)c. electroporationd. gel electrophoresis

Why does DNA profiling rely on comparing specific genetic markers rather than the entire genome?

A friend who works in a research lab performed a GWAS and discovered a tight association between a SNP allele and the disease she is studying. She concluded that the SNP allele must be the mutation that causes the disease. Explain why she is likely to be wrong.

A friend who works in a research lab performed a GWAS and discovered a tight association between a SNP allele and the disease she is studying. She concluded that the SNP allele must be the mutation that causes the disease. Explain why she is likely to be wrong.

Which of the following is not part of the procedure used to make a DNA profile?a. Short tandem repeat sequences are amplified by PCR;b. DNA is placed in a gel and subjected to an electric current;c. The genes that encode DNA sequence are cloned into bacteria;d. DNA from blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or hair root cells can be used for analysis.

Revolutionaries executed Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, along with his wife and five children, the family physician, and about a dozen servants. Many decades later, a grave said to hold the remains of the royal family was discovered. Biologists were asked to analyze DNA from the bodies. If the remains of the family were in this grave, predict how similar the DNA fingerprints would be between the parents, the children, and the unrelated individuals in the grave.

Revolutionaries executed Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, along with his wife and five children, the family physician, and about a dozen servants. Many decades later, a grave said to hold the remains of the royal family was discovered. Biologists were asked to analyze DNA from the bodies. If the remains of the family were in this grave, predict how similar the DNA fingerprints would be between the parents, the children, and the unrelated individuals in the grave.