Alright, everyone. What is CRISPR? So you may or may not have heard about CRISPR, but it is very popular in genetics and microbiology at the moment. And it is going to be a very important way that bacteria can stop or prevent viral infections or at least better fight viral infections. So let's have a look at our answers. So it says CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats, which is one heck of a mouthful, which is why we call it CRISPR. It says CRISPR is a is a set of sequences of bacterial DNA derived from viral DNA fragments. It actually is. What CRISPR is is a mechanism to protect a bacterium cell from the viral infection. So a virus when it infects a bacterium puts its DNA that viral DNA into the bacterium and what the CRISPR set of proteins and mechanisms do is they attack that viral DNA and stop the virus from infecting the bacterium. They take very short or small sequences of the viral DNA and then incorporate it into the bacterial chromosome. That way if the bacterium is ever infected by that particular virus again, it knows how to better fight that virus because of the DNA in its chromosome. So that is the CRISPR system and sequences of viral DNA inside of the bacterial chromosome is one of the parts of that system. Answer choice b says it is a gene editing tool. If you think about it, it is. The CRISPR system is putting new sequences into the chromosome, so it is editing the genes of that chromosome. And we, as scientists, also commonly use this system to edit genes for experiments. Answer choice c says, it is a bacterial defense mechanism against viral infections. Yes. I just explained that as well. So it is actually all of these answers. CRISPR is really, really cool, but keep in mind it originated in bacteria to protect them from the viral infections,

Table of contents

1. Introduction to Microbiology3h 22m
2. Disproving Spontaneous Generation1h 18m
3. Chemical Principles of Microbiology3h 38m
4. Water1h 28m
5. Molecules of Microbiology2h 23m
6. Cell Membrane & Transport3h 28m
7. Prokaryotic Cell Structures & Functions5h 52m
8. Eukaryotic Cell Structures & Functions2h 18m
9. Microscopes2h 46m
10. Dynamics of Microbial Growth4h 36m
11. Controlling Microbial Growth4h 10m
12. Microbial Metabolism5h 16m
13. Photosynthesis2h 31m
14. DNA Replication2h 25m
15. Central Dogma & Gene Regulation7h 14m
16. Microbial Genetics4h 44m
17. Biotechnology3h 0m
18. Viruses, Viroids, & Prions4h 56m
19. Innate Immunity7h 15m
20. Adaptive Immunity7h 14m
21. Principles of Disease6h 57m

16. Microbial Genetics

CRISPR CAS

Microbiology

16. Microbial Genetics

CRISPR CAS

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Multiple Choice

What is CRISPR?

Sequences of bacterial DNA derived from viral DNA fragments.

A gene editing tool.

A bacterial defense mechanism against viral infections.

All of the above.

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Verified step by step guidance

Begin by understanding the acronym CRISPR, which stands for 'Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats'. These are sequences found in the DNA of bacteria and archaea.

Explore the origin of CRISPR sequences. They are derived from viral DNA fragments that have previously infected the bacterium. This allows the bacterium to 'remember' the virus.

Learn about the function of CRISPR as a bacterial defense mechanism. When the bacterium encounters the same virus again, it uses the CRISPR sequences to recognize and cut the viral DNA, preventing infection.

Investigate how CRISPR has been adapted as a gene editing tool. Scientists use CRISPR-Cas9, a protein associated with CRISPR, to precisely cut and modify DNA in various organisms, including humans.

Conclude by recognizing that CRISPR encompasses all these aspects: it is a sequence of bacterial DNA, a defense mechanism, and a powerful gene editing tool, making 'All of the above' the correct answer.