18. Biotechnology

The possibility of extensive genetic testing raises questions about how personal genetic information should be used. Is there any reason for the government to keep genetic files?

The goal of DNA fingerprinting is:

Which of the following characteristics of short tandem repeats (STRs) makes it useful for DNA fingerprinting?

The gel below shows a region of STRs from a DNA sample taken from a crime scene. It also shows the same region of STRs from 4 suspects involved in the case. Which suspect' DNA was found at the crime scene?

Imagine you have found a small quantity of DNA. Fill in the following diagram, which outlines a series of DNA technology experiments you could perform to study this DNA.

<IMAGE>

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

The DNA profiles used as evidence in a murder trial look something like supermarket bar codes. The pattern of bars in a DNA profile shows

a. The order of bases in a particular gene.

b. The presence of various-sized fragments of DNA.

c. The presence of dominant or recessive alleles for particular traits.

d. The order of genes along particular chromosomes.

A paleontologist has recovered a bit of tissue from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo (a bird). To compare a specific region of the DNA from a sample with DNA from living birds, which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of dodo DNA available for testing?

a. SNP analysis

b. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

c. Electroporation

d. Gel electrophoresis

A friend who works in a research lab performed a GWAS and discovered a tight association between a SNP allele and the disease she is studying. She concluded that the SNP allele must be the mutation that causes the disease. Explain why she is likely to be wrong.