Put the boxes in the correct process order for genetic engineering

Process order (first at the top)
  • Isolate the gene.
  • Insert gene into a vector.
  • Insert vector into a host cell.
  • Identify the host cell which now contains the required gene, making use of gene markers.
  • Clone the transformed host cells.

Complete the table to show how one method of isolating a required gene may be preferable over another.

Problem Description How does using restriction endonuclease solve this problem?
20,500 genes in the human genome, only 2 insulin genes.
Restriction endonucleases cut at specific points
A gene cut straight from the DNA contains introns
Difficult to find the gene. mRNA is used not the gene. A lot of mRNA is produced in cells making the protein required. They might cut in the middle of the gene rendering it useless. No restriction endonuclease is required. Bacterial hosts don’t have the post transcriptional enzymes to remove introns, the protein translated from this could be non-functional. The mRNA has already been edited and introns removed so DNA made from this would be intron free.

Task 1: Drag and drop the enzymes into the correct box

Task 2: What is the difference between a transgenic and a transformed organism?

Name the enzymes used to cut out a gene from a chromosome and to splice it into a vector:

Name the enzyme used to convert a piece of mRNA into a single strand of cDNA and the enzyme used to create double stranded cDNA from the template.

Restriction endonuclease DNA ligase Reverse transcriptase DNA polymerase

A transgenic organism has a gene from another organism incorporated into their genome. A cell that contains a plasmid containing a foreign gene are transformed.