AP Bio DNA Tech Study Guide

Ahh yes, a test over just one chapter. Good for not having to worry about too much material, but bad because it means the test will probably be more in depth. This test will cover everything under the broad topics of DNA Cloning, DNA Analysis and Genomics, and Practical applications of DNA technologies, as well as the ethical issues that surround DNA Technology. Remember that just because it’s not on the sheet doesn’t mean I won’t ask about it…

Ch 20

You should be familiar with all of the terms already given. In addition you should understand the processes behind finding genes and getting them into an organism, as well as the purposes for doing this. Also be aware of the problems posed by putting genes into different organisms (ie- why don’t certain human genes work in prokaryotes?)

Know what the different kinds of genomic libraries are and how they are used and obtained.

You should also know the other technologies like PCR and Gel Electrophoresis, and the procedures they are useful in (ie-southern blotting, RFLP, etc).

You should be able to describe the stages of the human genome project and explain how to sequence DNA. Also, know the findings of the HGP and how it may be possible to use these findings.

How does our genome compare to other genomes in terms of genes and size.

What is the proteome project and why is it going to be so much harder to complete? Why are its potential payoffs much more significant?

What is bioinformatics? How does it relate to the HGP? How does it relate to gene therapy?
What problems has gene therapy run into? How does somatic and germ-line gene therapy differ?

Be able to talk about the different ways genetic engineering could be used to fight disease- AIDS for example. Same for crops and the environment.

Be able to discuss the ethical implications that each of these uses raises. Why might we not want to get rid of certain “negative” alleles. What risks/problems might GM crops pose? What hazards are posed to individuals if all of their “genetic uniqueness” is available to read.

I’ve essentially already said it, but make sure you can step me through each of the procedures outlined in the text. It might be a good idea to look at the cd-rom/website components for review.

You should also be able to explain what you did in the lab (despite whether it worked or not).