Several thousand fish species are to be "bar coded" ( I presume they mean markers), it's part of a research campaign. A specific region of mitochondrial dna is being used by the research group which will not show much variation within species but between species is extremely different. This DNA originates/is sourced from muscle tissue using standard dna extraction methods/techniques. It will be used to identify different fish species.
1)I have to explain how DNA profiling will meet the needs of the group and a technique/method related to this application.
I'm really confused on how to answer this question or even start it, if someone could guide me on this with a bit of explanation it would help!! :))
It is not clear to me what the needs of the research campaign are. I am unaware of difficulty determining different fish species. If there is a difficulty doing this, then this will provide a id for the individual species, and how often they cross. But it does have a cost, and I am wondering (there is no data presented) if the cost of identifing different fish species by DNA testing is worth the cost versus id by visual methods as is historic.
So this proposal baffles me also.
well according to the question it goes
"15-20 thousand marine fish species will be "bar-coded" by 2010 as part of an research project. Scientists/Researchers will use a specific region of mitochondrial DNA which does not show much variation within species but between species is very different. The DNA is sourced from muscle tissue using standard DNA Extraction techniques. This is designed to identify different fish species.
A)Explain how DNA profiling will be used to meet the specific needs of the scientists/researchers. Include an explanation of a technique related to this application.
B)Before this biotechnology can be used, researchers would need to consider if it is worthwhile. Justify with reasons the use of DNA profiling for fish identification.
The second part of the question asks whether it would be viable, worthwhile.
how would you explain part A) appropriately?
an explanation of a technique related to this application <<
would this be electrophoresis, pcr, or some other technique in this case? HELP please, i'm slightly baffled with mtdna and dna profiling and how it works..and the technique which would be used, strs?
"Scientists believe that mitochondrial DNA is the best choice for DNA barcoding in animals, for many reasons. First, mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited, which avoids recombination among individuals of the same species. Second, the low frequency of DNA deletions and insertions makes sequence alignments of different species easier because abrupt gaps are rare. Third, mitochondrial DNA is present in many copies in the cell and therefore easier to detect."
would PCR be the effective technique since they are using mtDNA?
Yes, it would. But the question of how it meets their needs is beyond me.
I think the fact that they can catalog the species in the first place, and make a distinction between the species using profiling is what they mean by 'meet their needs'.
how would you explain part B) Bob?
i would answer the second part by saying it is advantageous as it helps catalog species and will also help identify new species.
worthwhile... is there any other method? is it time consuming?, but since it is PCR it will be fast wouldn't it?
What would you see as the advantages and disadvantages, and would you consider it worthwhile?
When explaining part A, you can focus on how DNA profiling using a specific region of mitochondrial DNA will meet the needs of the scientists/researchers in identifying different fish species. Mitochondrial DNA is a suitable choice because it does not show much variation within species but has significant differences between species. This means that even closely related fish species can be distinguished based on their mitochondrial DNA. The DNA is sourced from muscle tissue using standard DNA extraction techniques. The technique related to this application would indeed be the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). PCR allows the researchers to amplify specific regions of the mitochondrial DNA so that they can be analyzed and compared across different fish species.
Moving on to part B, to justify the use of DNA profiling for fish identification, you can mention several reasons. Firstly, DNA profiling provides a more accurate and objective method compared to traditional visual identification, especially for species that are difficult to distinguish based on external characteristics. It can help overcome the challenges of incorrect or inconsistent visual identification, especially in cases of morphologically similar species. Secondly, DNA profiling can also help identify new or previously unknown species by comparing their DNA profiles to existing databases. This can contribute to scientific knowledge and biodiversity conservation efforts. Thirdly, DNA profiling allows for standardized and reproducible identification, ensuring consistency across different research projects and studies. Lastly, although there might be some time and cost involved in performing DNA profiling, it can provide long-term benefits by creating a comprehensive and reliable database of fish species that can be used for various research purposes.
In terms of advantages, DNA profiling offers accuracy, objectivity, and the ability to identify even closely related species. It can also contribute to scientific knowledge and conservation efforts by identifying new species and building comprehensive databases. However, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider. DNA profiling can be time-consuming and costly, especially when dealing with large numbers of samples. It requires specialized equipment and expertise, which might not be readily available to all researchers. Additionally, there could be ethical concerns related to the collection of tissue samples from fish.
Whether DNA profiling is considered worthwhile ultimately depends on the specific research goals and available resources. It is essential for the researchers to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and determine if the benefits of DNA profiling for fish identification outweigh the potential drawbacks and costs.