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DNA Defined and Delineated

While there are several definitions available for DNA, Matta presents the following definition that would be used when briefing laboratory technologists who are new to processing this molecule.

DNA is the carrier of genetic information. It is composed of two linear polymers held together by hydrogen bonds and arranged in a helical conformation, similar to a stepladder. These polymers or strands consist of repeat units of nucleotides which are composed of a sugar, deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and a purine or pyrimidine base. There are four main nucleotides, each defined by the base attached to the sugar moiety. The four nucleotides are: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. They represent the DNA alphabet.1

Klosinski and Mattson report that the investigation of DNA has spread of late, with a variety of applications available. Among these applications is fingerprinting microorganisms, which uses restriction enzyme analysis with agarose gel electrophoresis, pulsed-field electrophoresis and DNA-DNA hybridization.2 Edwards, Hunter, and Hankin concur that the use of restriction enzyme analysis proves superior to the organic extration of DNA.3 There are, however, several qualifications to the successful use of this technique. These qualifications include: the need to tilt the gel in the depurination solution; the choice of membrane; the need to use a hybridization solution; the need to modify stringency washes; and the use of salt extraction method. Klosinski and Mattson further add that the function of the laboratory technician in using DNA has grown substantially over time.4 As evidence of this, the use of molecular identification of infectious agents with the use of specific nucleic acid probes, the development of DNA fingerprinting techniques, and the exploitation of DNA polymorphisms to detect inheritance patterns of disease-associated genes have resulted in the growth of molecular pathology. Thus, DNA...

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DNA Defined and Delineated. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 04:35, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1693279.html