MI Unit 2 Test – Flashcards

A person can be a weak taster if they are heterozygous. If a person is heterozygous, then their genotype would be Tt. This means that they are able to taste PTC, but not as strongly as someone who has a genotype of TT.

Karyotype is a test to identify and evaluate the size, shape, and number of chromosomes in a sample of body cells. Extra or missing chromosomes, or abnormal positions of chromosome pieces, can cause problems with a person's growth, development, and body functions.

This is because her eggs are the same age, and errors in meiosis may be more likely to happen as a result of the aging process.

Gene therapy is the practice of inserting functional genes into a person's genome to replace faulty genes. Doctors and medical researchers are working to restore function to cells that are affected by genetic disorders. To accomplish this goal, scientists have to get the right gene to the right cells in the right tissue. This is not an easy task. Many vectors, or delivery systems, for gene therapy are actually viruses. The idea of using viruses to deliver treatment may sound frightening, but these tiny pathogens can be used as an effective way to target our cells and insert new genes.

-Conditions that are caused by point mutations tend to be good candidates for gene therapy, while diseases involving many genes and environmental factors tend to be poor candidates. -You must have a copy of the gene affected available in your laboratory -You must know which tissues the disorder affects, what role the protein encoded by the gene plays within the cells of that tissue, and exactly how the mutations in the gene affect the protein's function -Must be able to deliver the gene to the cells of affected tissue

form of RNA; 8,000 base pair max; only affects dividing cells; may cause an immune response and may not integrate into the right part of cellular DNA, causing other unintended mutations

form of double stranded DNA; 7,500 base pair max; affects both dividing and nondividing cells; can cause an immune response in patient and is not permanent

form of single stranded DNA; 5,000 base pair limit; affects both dividing and nondividing; needs the assistance of a "helper" virus to replicate themselves inside of cells

form of double-stranded DNA; 20,000 base pair limit; affects cells of the nervous system; can cause an immune response in patient

form of plasmids; no max length; not specific for any cell type; some types can be toxic. Cannot be integrated into the host cell's genome

in the form of plasmids; no max length; not specific for any cell type; will not integrate into the host cell's genome

Some advantages are viruses are capable of transferring the gene into the cell and that they can permanently change the cell to help the patient. A disadvantage it that they may promote an immune response from the body. Also there is a chance that the vector could go to the wrong part of the body and cause another mutation. The advantages are that you might be cured for a disease and could live a peaceful life. The disadvantages of using viral vectors for gene therapy are that the gene may be inserted wrong and it might turn on a gene that causes problems in the body

herpes simplex virus. The boy is suffering from a disorder that affects the nervous system and this vector targets and infects cells of the nervous system. Also this vector can handle a maximum length of 20,000 base pairs and this disorder is about 8,400 base pairs.

Therapeutic cloning is where DNA is extracted from a cell to be put into a germ cell as in regular cloning. Therapeutic cloning, however, is used to treat a genetic disease in an adult individual. Reproductive cloning is simply cloning an individual in order to reproduce. I believe that therapeutic cloning is more acceptable than reproductive cloning because it does not create a full organism and it is intended to improve an individual's quality of life. Gene cloning produces copies of genes or segments of DNA. Reproductive cloning produces copies of whole animals. Therapeutic cloning produces embryonic stem cells for experiments aimed at creating tissues to replace injured or diseased tissues. Gene cloning, also known as DNA cloning, is a very different process from reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive and therapeutic cloning share many of the same techniques, but are done for different purposes.

vacuum out the genes of an egg and insert new genes from a somatic cell of the donor while slightly tweaking the genes to create a clone

Artificial Embryo Twinning- an early embryo is separated into individual cells inside a petri dish and placed in a surrogate mother. Somatic cell nuclear transfer- removed all of the DNA from an egg cell. They transferred the nucleus from the somatic cell to the egg cell, allowing it to behave like a fertilized embryo.

Cons: harmful side effects such as blood cancers, could cause cheating in professional sports ("gene doping"), not very precise, could cause blood to thicken which could be lethal. Pros: could allow a person to avoid lifelong therapies, treatment can be permanent, could provide patient with a longer life, does not rely on viruses to disperse DNA which bypasses the risk of an immune response, wide range of diseases it can treat

sex determinable, heartbeat, arms proportional, more movement

senses present, nails develop