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In 1991, the body of a man was found frozen beneath a glacier in Italy - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 11 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 11
In 1991, the body of a man was found frozen beneath a glacier in Italy. Researchers named him Ötzi. It was determined that Ötzi died 5300 years ago and that his body... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:In 1991, the body of a man was found frozen beneath a glacier in Italy - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 11 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe the process scientists would use on a small sample of Ötzi's DNA to obtain larger quantities of identical DNA.
Answer
To obtain larger quantities of identical DNA from a small sample of Ötzi's DNA, scientists would typically follow these steps:
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Extract the DNA: The first step involves isolating DNA from the cells using a buffer solution that helps lyse (break open) the membranes and release the DNA into the solution.
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Amplify the DNA using PCR: The extracted DNA would then undergo Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). In this process, the DNA is heated to approximately 90 °C to denature the strands, then cooled to allow primers to attach to the target sequences.
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Copy the DNA Strands: After the primers are attached, Taq polymerase (a heat-stable enzyme) is used to extend the strands, duplicating the DNA segments. This process is repeated for multiple cycles, exponentially increasing the amount of DNA available.