Genetic Engineering Practice Test: Basics of Genetic Engineering — Flashcards

Basics of Genetic Engineering topics include: Restriction endonucleases and phosphatases, polymerases, exonucleases, categories and enzymes for ligation, purification of plasmid dna, transformation, gel electrophoresis oligonucleotide and microarrays.

Genetic engineering, also known as genetic modification, is a process that alters an organism's DNA. It involves using laboratory tools to insert, alter, or cut out pieces of DNA that contain one or more genes of interest. 

Here are some basic concepts of genetic engineering:
Recombinant DNA: A technology that involves isolating a gene from a donor organism and transferring it into a different species.
Gene targeting: The use of recombinant DNA vectors to alter the expression of a particular gene.
Gene cloning; A common practice in molecular biology labs that is used by researchers to create copies of a particular gene. 

Here are some steps in genetic engineering:
Locate an organism with a specific trait and extract its DNA.
Clone a gene that controls the trait.
Design a gene to express in a specific way.
Transformation, inserting the gene into the cells of a crop plant.
Cross the transgene into an elite background. 
Genetic engineering techniques are used only when all other techniques have been exhausted