Ch 25: AP Biology - Basic Molecular Biology Laboratory Techniques: Tutoring Solution

1. What is Genetic Engineering? - Definition and Examples

How do we make the insulin used by diabetic patients? In this lesson, you'll learn the basics of how genetic engineering can be used to transform a bacterial host cell into a genetically-modified organism that produces human insulin.

2. What is a DNA Plasmid? - Importance to Genetic Engineering

DNA plasmids play an integral part in most genetic engineering experiments. In this lesson, you'll learn about key features of a plasmid, such as a multiple cloning site, an origin of replication, and a selectable marker.

3. Restriction Enzymes: Function and Definition

Restriction enzymes played a critical role in the advent of genetic engineering. In this lesson, you will learn what role restriction enzymes play in creating recombinant DNA.

4. How Ligase is Used to Engineer Recombinant DNA

DNA ligase makes recombinant DNA technology possible. In this lesson, you will learn how new versions of genes can be designed for experiments in novel host organisms using DNA ligase.

5. What is Agarose Gel Electrophoresis?

Agarose gel electrophoresis plays a key role in genetic engineering experiments. In this lesson, you'll learn what agarose is and how electrophoresis works. You'll also discover the use of agarose in this procedure.

6. Ethidium Bromide, Loading Buffer & DNA Ladder: Visualizing DNA and Determining its Size

In this lesson, you will learn about the role that ethidium bromide, loading buffers, and DNA ladders play in visualizing DNA and determining the size of DNA fragments in agarose gel electrophoresis.

7. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis: Equipment & Procedure

This lesson will review the concepts and mechanisms of agarose gel electrophoresis. It will also summarize the equipment needed to perform the procedure for DNA analysis.

8. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis: Results Analysis

Gel electrophoresis is used to analyze DNA restriction digest and ligation experiments. In this lesson, you will learn how to use a DNA ladder to interpret experimental results.

9. Bacterial Transformation: Definition, Process and Genetic Engineering of E. coli

How can a plasmid be inserted into a bacterial cell? How can transformed bacteria carrying a recombinant plasmid be distinguished from untransformed counterparts? These questions and more will be answered in this lesson.

10. Bacterial Transformation: Antibiotic Selection and Positive & Negative Controls

The use of antibiotic selection and positive and negative controls are important elements of interpreting data from a bacterial transformation. In this lesson, you will learn how antibiotic selection results in colony formation and how controls help pinpoint the cause of experimental problems.

11. PCR: Reagents Used in Polymerase Chain Reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a biotechnology technique that is used to amplify pieces of DNA. In this lesson, you will learn about five ingredients necessary to perform PCR: template DNA, nucleotides, primers, buffer and Taq polymerase.

12. PCR: Steps Involved in Polymerase Chain Reaction

In this lesson, you will learn about the steps required to amplify DNA during PCR. The lesson will explain the role template DNA, primers, nucleotides, Taq polymerase and PCR buffer play in the denaturation, annealing and extension steps of PCR.

13. The Sanger Method of DNA Sequencing

The ability to determine the DNA sequence of an individual is a powerful tool for paternity questions and criminal investigations, among other uses. This lesson will describe one laboratory method that can be used to sequence DNA.

14. Carrying Capacity of a Population: Definition & Explanation

As population size increases, so does the demand for resources. Carrying capacity helps define the appropriate size of a population based on its environment. The availability of resources has a direct effect on how quickly and how large a population can grow.

15. Positive Control: Definition & Experiment

A positive control is a part of good experimental design. A positive control receives a treatment with a known response, so that this positive response can be compared to the unknown response of the treatment.

16. The Transforming Principle: Definition & Explanation

Bacteria aren't above cannibalism. Discover how one bacterium can 'eat' another's genetic material - and how this freakish behavior led to the discovery of DNA.

17. The Ethics of Genetic Engineering

In this lesson, you're going to learn about the ethics of genetic engineering. We will review two hotly debated examples, GMO crops and 'designer' babies, and their potential benefits and dangers to society.