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Ch. 9 - Biotechnology & DNA Technology
Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTortora 14th EditionCh. 9 - Biotechnology & DNA TechnologyProblem 5
Chapter 9, Problem 5

Identify and mark each of the following in making cDNA: transcription, RNA processing, reverse transcription, DNA polymerase, cDNA.
Diagram showing the process of making cDNA from DNA through transcription, RNA processing, reverse transcription, and DNA polymerase action.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the process of making cDNA (complementary DNA). It involves starting from an mRNA template and converting it back into DNA. The key stages include transcription, RNA processing, reverse transcription, and DNA synthesis.
Step 2: Identify 'transcription' as the process where DNA is used to make pre-mRNA. This occurs in the nucleus and involves RNA polymerase synthesizing RNA complementary to the DNA template strand.
Step 3: Mark 'RNA processing' as the modifications that pre-mRNA undergoes to become mature mRNA. This includes 5' capping, splicing out introns, and 3' polyadenylation, preparing the mRNA for export to the cytoplasm.
Step 4: Locate 'reverse transcription' as the step where the enzyme reverse transcriptase synthesizes cDNA from the mature mRNA template. This is the key step that converts RNA back into DNA.
Step 5: Identify 'DNA polymerase' as the enzyme that may be used to synthesize the second strand of DNA, creating double-stranded cDNA from the single-stranded cDNA produced by reverse transcriptase.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Transcription

Transcription is the process where RNA is synthesized from a DNA template by RNA polymerase. It produces a primary RNA transcript that contains both exons and introns before any processing occurs.
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Initiation of Transcription

RNA Processing

RNA processing modifies the primary RNA transcript into mature mRNA by splicing out introns, adding a 5' cap, and a 3' poly-A tail. This processed mRNA is then ready for translation or reverse transcription.
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1) RNA Processing

Reverse Transcription and cDNA Synthesis

Reverse transcription uses reverse transcriptase to synthesize complementary DNA (cDNA) from processed mRNA. DNA polymerase can then be used to create double-stranded cDNA, which is essential for cloning or PCR applications.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Pieces of human DNA stored in yeast cells.

a. Antisense

b. Clone

c. Library

d. Southern blot

e. Vector

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Textbook Question

You have a small gene that you want replicated by PCR. You add fluorescent dye-labeled nucleotides to the PCR thermal cycler. After three replication cycles, what percentage of the DNA single strands will fluoresce?

a. 0%

b. 12.5%

c. 50%

d. 87.5%

e. 100%

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Textbook Question

The following enzymes are used to make cDNA. What is the second enzyme used to make cDNA?

a. Reverse transcriptase

b. Ribozyme

c. RNA polymerase

d. DNA polymerase

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Textbook Question

Describe an rDNA experiment in two or three sentences. Use the following terms: intron, exon, DNA, mRNA, cDNA, RNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase.

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Textbook Question

Suppose you want multiple copies of a gene you have synthesized. How would you obtain the necessary copies by cloning? By PCR?

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Textbook Question

If you put a gene in a virus, the next step in genetic modification would be

a. insertion of a plasmid.

b. transformation.

c. transduction.

d. PCR.

e. Southern blotting.

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