Archive for the ‘FAQ’ Category
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12.03.09
Molecular Visualizations of DNA
[DNA Chromosome Wrapping] In this animation we’ll see a remarkable way our DNA is tightly packed up so the 6 feet of this long molecule fits into microscopic nucleus of every cell. The process starts when DNA is wrapped around special DNA molecules called histones. The combined group of DNA and protein is called [...] Continue Reading…
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11.28.09
DNA 101 – Lecture for Kids!
Lesson 1: What are genes?Your body is made up of 50 trillion cells. Cells come in many different varieties, with many different functions. But inside almost every cell is a nucleus containing 99.9% of your genes, and mitochondria containing a few more genes. All told, you have nearly 20,000 genes. Your gene is a small part of a long [...] Continue Reading…
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An important technique that relies on hybridization of complimentary nucleic acid sequences is Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization or FISH. This technique makes use of fluorescent probes to detect and locate specific DNA sequences in cells and tissues. In human genetics, FISH is commonly used to analyze chromosomal contents of cells and to detect [...] Continue Reading…
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The Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, is a crucial method for exponentially increasing the amounts of a specific DNA sequence. PCR is a cyclic process controlled by the temperature of the reaction mixture. First, the temperature is raised to 95C [...] Continue Reading…
