Gene Cloning Methodology of DNA
Gene Cloning Methodology of DNA
What is DNA?
DNA was discovered by the Swiss biochemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher, in 1869, while he was working in Tubingen, Germany. He found that the DNA molecule is large; acidic in nature and rich in phosphorus, but only in the 1930s was the real and complex structure of DNA fully studied.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material in all prokaryotes and eukaryotes, i.e. it is the material responsible for the transfer of hereditary traits from parents to their offspring. This role of DNA was proved by many scientists via many experiments. In 1944 the scientists Avery, MacLeod and McCarty proved experimentally that DNA was a ‘transforming principle’ that could transfer genetic information from an organism. The same inference was supported further by the work of Hershey and Chase, who used radiolabelling to prove that DNA did indeed contain genetic information and was capable of transferring it.
The full DNA sequence of an organism is called its genome. Basically, DNA is a double-stranded molecule having repeating units or building blocks, made up of a pentose sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The entire unit is known as a nucleotide. Hence DNA can be said to be made up of two strands of nucleotides. There are four different bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine) and hence four different nucleotides.
Genes are specific sequences of nucleotides on the DNA. These genes act as the fundamental units of heredity. The information stored on the genes allows for the formation of different proteins, which then perform a number of other functions. The human genome is said to have between 20,000 to 25,000 genes in it. In the cells, the DNA is packed into structures called chromosomes. Each human cell has 46 chromosomes. Thus, every chromosome contains multiple genes and these genes are made up of DNA molecules.
DNA Cloning and its Importance
Cloning is the process of making an
What is DNA?
DNA was discovered by the Swiss biochemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher, in 1869, while he was working in Tubingen, Germany. He found that the DNA molecule is large; acidic in nature and rich in phosphorus, but only in the 1930s was the real and complex structure of DNA fully studied.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material in all prokaryotes and eukaryotes, i.e. it is the material responsible for the transfer of hereditary traits from parents to their offspring. This role of DNA was proved by many scientists via many experiments. In 1944 the scientists Avery, MacLeod and McCarty proved experimentally that DNA was a ‘transforming principle’ that could transfer genetic information from an organism. The same inference was supported further by the work of Hershey and Chase, who used radiolabelling to prove that DNA did indeed contain genetic information and was capable of transferring it.
The full DNA sequence of an organism is called its genome. Basically, DNA is a double-stranded molecule having repeating units or building blocks, made up of a pentose sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The entire unit is known as a nucleotide. Hence DNA can be said to be made up of two strands of nucleotides. There are four different bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine) and hence four different nucleotides.
Genes are specific sequences of nucleotides on the DNA. These genes act as the fundamental units of heredity. The information stored on the genes allows for the formation of different proteins, which then perform a number of other functions. The human genome is said to have between 20,000 to 25,000 genes in it. In the cells, the DNA is packed into structures called chromosomes. Each human cell has 46 chromosomes. Thus, every chromosome contains multiple genes and these genes are made up of DNA molecules.
DNA Cloning and its Importance
Cloning is the process of making an
References: ‘Genomes 3’ – Terence A. Brown (3rd Edition, 2007) ‘iGenetics – A Molecular Approach’ – Peter J. Russell (2nd Edition) http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/gene http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-dna-cloning.htm http://biotech.about.com/od/cloning/tp/DNAcloning.htm http://www.discoverbiotech.com/wiki/-/wiki/Main/Applications+of+Cloning http://c2d.osdd.net/home/cep/intro http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21498/ http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/the-biotechnology-revolution-pcr-and-the-use-553 http://www.mrothery.co.uk/genetech/genetechnotes.htm#Electrophoresis