PCR
Polymerase Chain Reaction, commonly known as PCR, is an innovation that has revolutionized molecular biology, allowing scientists to create approximately one billion copies of a specific sequence of DNA in a matter of hours. This module will explain the technique and its usefulness.
Bacterial Transformation
Bacterial transformation involves bacteria incorporating exogenous DNA into their genome. The incorporated DNA that is present in the environment is usually a plasmid. Plasmids are non-chromosomal DNA that code for proteins that enable a bacterium to better adapt to its environment. Functions of plasmid DNA may include coding for antibiotic resistance or the ability to digest certain macromolecules. In this module you will learn more about the process of bacterial transformation.
DNA Structure
It has been just over 50 years since the seminal paper concerning the structure of DNA was published by Francis Crick and James Watson. DNA is the storage molecule that encodes for the production of every protein, providing the information needed to create cells, organs, and organisms. In this module you will learn more about the structure of DNA.
The Central Dogma
The central dogma describes the transfer of genetic information to protein sequence. DNA is copied (transcribed) into a transcript called messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is translated into a protein sequence. But how does all of this happen? What is involved in the process of making a protein from DNA? Watch the animations and interviews with the scientists who discovered the processes your book discusses.
