Week 1 genetically modified organisms labratory worksheet PDF

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Lab 9: Investigating Genetically Modified Food Week 1 Questions 1-11

1. How can we treat food to find out if it contains material derived from a genetically modified organism (GMO)? We can extract the DNA from the plant products in the food and run a PCR reaction to amplify the alterations in the DNA and analyze these results. ELISA can also be used to detect proteins that are made from genetically modified plants.

2. In what organelles is plant DNA located? Plant DNA is located within the nucleus and mitochondria of the cell. It is also found in the cytoplasm of the cell.

3. Many foods GM crops are highly processed. Can you suggest how DNA from whole plants may differ from that extracted from foods, e.g., corn chips, cornmeal, etc.? Whole foods are different than processed foods because processed foods destroy many of the proteins that were originally found in the whole foods that they are derived from. DNA is not as susceptible to damage as proteins, but they still may be more damaged in processed foods as compared to whole foods.

4. What molecules are present in the cell that might interfere with DNA extraction?

Enzymes may interfere with DNA extraction because they break down DNA, which would not be available for testing after being broken down. Cell walls of the plant cell may interfere with DNA extraction because they are meant to protect the DNA from its outside environment. This my block the DNA from being reached, making the process more difficult.

5. Why do you also perform analysis on food that is known to be a non-GMO food control? The non-GMO food control is used as a control so that it can be compared to the food that is being tested for GMOs. It would also aware the researcher of contamination because if the non-GMO food was shown to have GMOs, then the results of the food that is being tested may also be contaminated too.

6. Why are you performing two PCR reactions on each DNA sample? The first PCR test is done to replicate the DNA of the food that is being tested. The second PCR test is to test the DNA for genetic modification.

7. What is the purpose of the GMO- positive control DNA? Just like the GMO- negative control, the GMO positive control is used as a comparison tool to compare the results of the tested food to a positive GMO control. It is also to make sure that the method of testing is accurate because it should always yield results that support that it contains GMOs unless there are errors being made.

8. What does PCR allow you to do with DNA? PCR allows us to amplify the food’s genetically modified genes so that they can be analyzed.

9. What components do you need to perform PCR? PCR is completed by using a template, oligonucleotide primer, the enzyme (Taq DNA polymerase), and the master mix (a reaction buffer) (Nguyen et al., 2021).

10. What is in the master mix and why do you need each component? The master mix is a special reaction buffer. It is important because it contains all of the components necessary for PCR reaction to happen. Its components include building blocks of DNA, a buffer to keep the pH stable, salts, and MgCl2. The salts and MgCl2 are both cofactors, which are needed in order for the Taq DNA polymerase to perform best (Nguyen et al., 2021).

11. What steps make up a PCR cycle, and what happens at each step? The PCR cycle is composed of three steps, denaturation, annealing, and extension. Denaturation is when the double strand structure of the DNA template is melted into individual strands. In the annealing step, hybridization of the complementary DNA strand by DNA primers happens. Lastly, extension is when DNA strand synthesis via DNA polymerase occurs (Nguyen et al., 2021).

Works Cited Nguyen, J., Mertzlufft, D., Koerner, S., Corneille, K., Raja, A., & Schmitt Lavin, E. (2021). Biology 1500 Laboratory Manual (2nd ed.). Morton Publishing Company....