09-20-2012, 06:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-21-2012, 12:41 AM by Administrator.)
Understanding gene, its functions and what it is made up of.
Gene is the base stone on which life of all the living organisms is built. Each gene is an arrangement of 3 nucleotides. Every gene has a different order of nucleotide arrangement which produces different results. There are 5 nucleotides Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine and Uracil. The sequence of these nucleotides forms nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA. DNA is the genetic material which has all the information about the living organism like characteristics that are visible for example, colour of skin or taste of a fruit and also the characters which are not visible like blood type. RNA is the genetic material for some viruses. The order of arrangement of these nucleotides in a nucleic acid decides what they code for, they can code for aminoacids which form proteins, enzymes etc, which are necessary for life of an organism. It also contains information of different traits of organisms which can be passed on for generations. For example, it may be disease or some quality like colour of skin or taste of a fruit. So a gene is made up a sequence of nucleotides, the arrangement of these nucleotides in different orders produces a variety of products which are essential for the life of an organism.
Why and What is cloning
Cloning refers to the replication but in cloning the resultant daughter is the exact copy of the parent in each and every aspect and without any modification. These replicas thus formed are called clones. By this method we can make clones of genes or even a whole organism can be cloned.
As for now we will concentrate on gene cloning. Let us have a look at the process of gene cloning step by step in general:
• Frist, the DNA containing the desired gene is isolated from the organism.
• It is then subjected to purification and then treated with the restriction enzyme which produces number of fragments of DNA. This enzyme breaks the DNA at some specific sites i.e. at some specific base pairs. These sites depend on the type of endonuclease enzyme used as enzyme has a specific site. These fragments thus obtained has cohesive ends or sticky ends that are single stranded with one being 3’ and another 5’.
• The next step involves isolating a plasmid. Plasmid is the DNA that is capable of replicating outside its cell. This is also called vector as it carries the fragments of DNA to be cloned.
• The isolated plasmid is then purified and subject to the same endonuclease enzyme that is used to produce fragments of the DNA containing the desired gene. The plasmid used contains only one restriction site the enzyme acts and as the same enzyme is used to produce similar cohesive ends of single strands as in the fragments with one end being 5’ and another 3’ which will enable the hybridisation between them.
• When these fragments and the plasmid are allowed to combine the cohesive ends of two start forming base pairs and these are catalysed by DNA ligase that seals them together by forming phosphodiester bonds.
• Now, the resultant DNA is to be introduced into a host cell where the replication can take place thus producing clones. The host cell is generally a bacterial cell and the process is called transformation.
• Each of the host cell contains different fragments of the DNA. These are now allowed to reproduce .
• From the reproduced cells, the cluster of cells containing the desired gene can be identified and isolated.
Where do gene cloning help-
• Gene cloning can be used to study the different genes responsible for different traits and the characteristics of an organism.
• It helps in identifying any genetic disorders or hereditary diseases and can help in finding the cure or at least the prevention.
• Gene cloning helped to produce a large amounts of insulin which is used by diabetic patients to control the sugar levels.
Gene gives life to an organism and gene cloning is helping in improving the lives of all the organisms and with all the technology at its side it will further improve the quality of lives.
Gene is the base stone on which life of all the living organisms is built. Each gene is an arrangement of 3 nucleotides. Every gene has a different order of nucleotide arrangement which produces different results. There are 5 nucleotides Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine and Uracil. The sequence of these nucleotides forms nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA. DNA is the genetic material which has all the information about the living organism like characteristics that are visible for example, colour of skin or taste of a fruit and also the characters which are not visible like blood type. RNA is the genetic material for some viruses. The order of arrangement of these nucleotides in a nucleic acid decides what they code for, they can code for aminoacids which form proteins, enzymes etc, which are necessary for life of an organism. It also contains information of different traits of organisms which can be passed on for generations. For example, it may be disease or some quality like colour of skin or taste of a fruit. So a gene is made up a sequence of nucleotides, the arrangement of these nucleotides in different orders produces a variety of products which are essential for the life of an organism.
Why and What is cloning
Cloning refers to the replication but in cloning the resultant daughter is the exact copy of the parent in each and every aspect and without any modification. These replicas thus formed are called clones. By this method we can make clones of genes or even a whole organism can be cloned.
As for now we will concentrate on gene cloning. Let us have a look at the process of gene cloning step by step in general:
• Frist, the DNA containing the desired gene is isolated from the organism.
• It is then subjected to purification and then treated with the restriction enzyme which produces number of fragments of DNA. This enzyme breaks the DNA at some specific sites i.e. at some specific base pairs. These sites depend on the type of endonuclease enzyme used as enzyme has a specific site. These fragments thus obtained has cohesive ends or sticky ends that are single stranded with one being 3’ and another 5’.
• The next step involves isolating a plasmid. Plasmid is the DNA that is capable of replicating outside its cell. This is also called vector as it carries the fragments of DNA to be cloned.
• The isolated plasmid is then purified and subject to the same endonuclease enzyme that is used to produce fragments of the DNA containing the desired gene. The plasmid used contains only one restriction site the enzyme acts and as the same enzyme is used to produce similar cohesive ends of single strands as in the fragments with one end being 5’ and another 3’ which will enable the hybridisation between them.
• When these fragments and the plasmid are allowed to combine the cohesive ends of two start forming base pairs and these are catalysed by DNA ligase that seals them together by forming phosphodiester bonds.
• Now, the resultant DNA is to be introduced into a host cell where the replication can take place thus producing clones. The host cell is generally a bacterial cell and the process is called transformation.
• Each of the host cell contains different fragments of the DNA. These are now allowed to reproduce .
• From the reproduced cells, the cluster of cells containing the desired gene can be identified and isolated.
Where do gene cloning help-
• Gene cloning can be used to study the different genes responsible for different traits and the characteristics of an organism.
• It helps in identifying any genetic disorders or hereditary diseases and can help in finding the cure or at least the prevention.
• Gene cloning helped to produce a large amounts of insulin which is used by diabetic patients to control the sugar levels.
Gene gives life to an organism and gene cloning is helping in improving the lives of all the organisms and with all the technology at its side it will further improve the quality of lives.
![[+]](https://www.biotechnologyforums.com/images/netpen-pro/collapse_collapsed.png)