AP Biology Study Guide
Chapter 12: DNA Technology and Genomics
Opening Essay
1. Explain how DNA evidence was first used to solve two horrible crimes.
Gene Cloning
2. Explain how plasmids are used in gene cloning.
3. Explain how restriction enzymes are used to “cut and paste” DNA into plasmids.
4. Explain how plasmids and phages can be used to construct genomic libraries.
5. Explain how a cDNA library is constructed and how it is different from genomic libraries constructed using
plasmids or phages.
6. Explain how a nucleic acid probe can be used to identify a specific gene.
Genetically Modified Organisms
7. Explain how different organisms are used to mass-produce proteins.
8. Explain how DNA technology has helped to produce insulin, growth hormone, and vaccines.
9. Explain how genetically modified (GM) organisms are transforming agriculture.
10. Describe the risks posed by the creation and culturing of GM organisms and the safeguards that have been
developed to minimize these risks.
11. Describe the benefits and risks of gene therapy in humans. Discuss the ethical issues that these techniques
present.
DNA Profiling
12. Describe the basic steps of DNA profiling.
13. Explain how PCR is used to amplify DNA sequences.
14. Explain how gel electrophoresis is used to sort DNA and proteins.
15. Explain how short tandem repeats are used in DNA profiling.
16. Describe the diverse applications of DNA profiling.
17. Explain how restriction fragment analysis is used to detect differences in DNA sequences.
Genomics
18. Explain why it is important to sequence the genomes of humans and other organisms.
19. Describe the structure and possible functions of the noncoding sections of the human genome. Give the current
estimate of the total number of human genes. Explain how the complexity of the human organism can result
from so few genes.
20. Explain how the human genome was mapped.
21. Compare the fields of genomics and proteomics.
22. Describe the significance of genomics to the study of evolutionary relationships and our understanding of the
special characteristics of humans.
C. Gay 11/1/08
Steamboat Springs High School AP Biology
Key Terms
biotechnology
primers
clone
proteomics
complementary DNA (cDNA)
recombinant DNA
DNA fingerprinting
repetitive DNA
DNA ligase
restriction enzyme
DNA profiling
restriction fragments
DNA technology
restriction fragmentlength polymorphism (RFLP)
forensics
restriction site
gel electrophoresis
reverse transcriptase
gene cloning
short tandem repeat analysis
gene therapy
single nucleotide polymorphism
genetic engineering
SNP
genetically modified (GM) organism
STR analysis
genomic library
STRs (short tandem repeats)
genomics
telomere
Human Genome Project (HGP)
Ti plasmid
nucleic acid probe
transgenic
plasmid
transposable element
polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
C. Gay 11/1/08
Steamboat Springs High School AP Biology