Name : Arna Francis Amor Cosido
Course and Year: BSN - 1
Date: January 24, 2022
Subject and Section:BIO-100L | 221N02
Laboratory Activity No. 3
Microorganisms
Introduction
Define microorganisms and give examples.
- A microorganism is an organism that can only be seen under a
microscope. Bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungus are examples of
microorganisms. Viruses are not living beings, yet they are occasionally
categorized as microbes.
Answer the guide questions:
1. What are the common diseases caused by microorganisms? Make a table to
show the year, disease and causative agent.
Year
Diseases
Causative Agent
1881
Pneumonia
Streptococcus pneumonia
1565
pharyngitis
Streptococcus bacteria
1955
vaginitis
Candida albicans, Gardnerella bacteria;
and Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan.
1950
Cold
Rhinovirus
1875
Chickenpox
Varicella zoster
1619
German Measles
Rubella
1882
Tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
1897
Malaria
Plasmodium falciparum
1976
Ebola
Ebola virus
2. In your own understanding, what is genetic engineering?
- Genetic engineering is the artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination
of DNA or other nucleic acid molecules in order to modify an organism or
population of organisms. Genetic engineering emerged from basic research in
microbial genetics. The term 'recombinant DNA' refers to methods of
recombinant DNA technology.
3. What is recombinant DNA?
- Recombinant DNA is the creation of new genetic combinations that are of value
to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry. The fundamental goal of
laboratory geneticists is to isolate, characterize, and manipulate genes. Finding a
specific gene within a DNA sample can be compared to finding a needle in a
haystack.
4. What are the steps involved in genetic engineering?
- Genetic engineering is accomplished in three basic steps. These are
(1) The isolation of DNA fragments from a donor organism;
(2) The insertion of an isolated donor DNA fragment into a vector genome and
(3) The growth of a recombinant vector in an appropriate host. These steps are
briefly reviewed and the part∗that they each play in a genetic engineering
experiment is discussed.
5. How is a microorganism involved in recombinant DNA technology?
- Since there are steps on th recombinant DNA Technology, microorganisms are
involved since a plasmid will be extracted from a bacterium. Plasmids are tiny
DNA rings that are not part of a bacterium's chromosome (the organism's major
reservoir of genetic information). They are, nevertheless, capable of guiding
protein synthesis and, like chromosomal DNA, are replicated and passed on to
the bacterium's descendants. Researchers can generate an essentially infinite
number of copies of the inserted gene by introducing foreign DNA (for example, a
mammalian gene) into a
6. How do restriction enzymes such as ecoR1 perform their role in the production of
recombinant DNA?
- When EcoRI identifies this site and cuts it, it does so in a highly precise fashion
that results in single-stranded DNA "overhangs" on the ends. If another section of
DNA contains matching overhangs (for example, because it was also cut by
EcoRI), complementary base pairing can help the overhangs adhere together. As
a result, enzymes that create single-stranded overhangs are known as sticky
ends. Sticky ends aid cloning by holding two bits of DNA together so that DNA
ligase may connect them together.
7. What are the products of recombinant DNA technology?
-
1. Isolating proteins in large quantities: Many recombinant products are now
available, including follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Follistim AQ vial, growth
hormone, insulin and some other proteins.
2. Making possible mutation identification: Due to this technology, people can be
easily tested for mutated protein presence that can lead to breast cancer,
neurofibromatosis, and retinoblastoma.
3. Hereditary diseases carrier diagnosis: Tests now available to determine if a
person is carrying the gene for cystic fibrosis, the Tay-Sachs diseases, Huntington’s
disease or Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
4. Gene transfer from one organism to other:
Biochemical products of recombinant DNA technology in medicine and research
include: human recombinant insulin, growth hormone, blood clotting factors,
hepatitis B vaccine, and diagnosis of HIV infection.
-
Biochemical products of recombinant DNA technology in agriculture include:
golden rice, herbicide-resistant crops, and insect-resistant crops.