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B.5 Bioinformatics

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Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics » Option B: Biotechnology and bioinformatics (Additional higher level topics) » B.5 Bioinformatics

Description

Nature of science:
Cooperation and collaboration between groups of scientists—databases on the internet allow scientists free access to information. (4.3)

Understandings:

Databases allow scientists easy access to information.
The body of data stored in databases is increasing exponentially.
BLAST searches can identify similar sequences in different organisms.
Gene function can be studied using model organisms with similar sequences.
Sequence alignment software allows comparison of sequences from different organisms.
BLASTn allows nucleotide sequence alignment while BLASTp allows protein alignment.
Databases can be searched to compare newly identified sequences with sequences of known function in other organisms.
Multiple sequence alignment is used in the study of phylogenetics.
EST is an expressed sequence tag that can be used to identify potential genes.

Applications and skills:

Application: Use of knockout technology in mice to determine gene function.
Application: Discovery of genes by EST data mining.
Skill: Explore chromosome 21 in databases (for example in Ensembl).
Skill: Use of software to align two proteins.
Skill: Use of software to construct simple cladograms and phylograms of related organisms using DNA sequences.

Theory of knowledge:

Knowledge claims justified by reference to databases raise unique knowledge questions. How reliable are knowledge claims justified by reference to data sources developed for different purposes by different researchers using different methods?

Aims:

Aim 6: Sequence alignment of related proteins such as hemoglobin and myoglobin could be investigated.

Directly related questions

16N.3.HL.TZ0.12d: Describe briefly how the cladogram was obtained.
16N.3.HL.TZ0.12c:
(i) Identify the longest amino acid sequence where there are no differences amongst the five genera.

(ii) Suggest, with a reason, whether the DNA coding for the amino acid sequence identified in (c)(i) must be identical for the five genera.
16N.3.HL.TZ0.12e: Determine which two genera are most closely related according to their cytochrome c protein...
16N.3.HL.TZ0.12b:
State the meaning of the dash (–) in the alignment.
16N.3.HL.TZ0.12a: State the bioinformatics tool used to obtain the alignment.
17M.2.HL.TZ1.1f.ii: Suggest a reason for the greater expression of the gene for the urea transporter after an...
17M.3.SL.TZ1.16a: Calculate the diversity of site C. Working should be shown.
17M.3.HL.TZ1.12:
Explain how BLAST searches are carried out and the applications of different types of these searches.
17M.3.HL.TZ1.9b: Explain what the branching off points represent in the cladogram of these fungi.
17N.3.HL.TZ0.10a: Identify the species that has the lowest percentage of coding sequences.
17N.3.HL.TZ0.10b: State how similar nucleotide sequences can be identified.
17N.3.HL.TZ0.10c:
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the first eukaryotic organism to have its entire genome sequenced. Suggest reasons for the choice of yeast as a study organism.
18N.3.HL.TZ0.11e: BLASTp was used to obtain the alignment of the genes coding for PSY. Outline reasons for BLASTn...
18N.3.HL.TZ0.11d: A bioinformatics analysis was performed on the protein PSY transcribed from the gene from corn...
18N.3.HL.TZ0.11f:
In the alignment there are dashes (–) in some positions. Deduce what is indicated by these dashes.
18N.3.SL.TZ0.10d: Describe how bioinformatics can help identify genes within the DNA of an organism.
18M.3.HL.TZ1.12b:
Describe how BLAST can be used to establish phylogenetic relationships between several organisms.
18M.3.HL.TZ2.12b: Regulations say that a protein is considered allergenic and unsafe for human consumption if at...
18M.3.HL.TZ2.12a.ii: Outline how the similar protein sequences were found.
18M.3.HL.TZ1.12a:
Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode, was the first multicellular organism whose genome was completely sequenced.

Outline the benefits of using model organisms for studying gene function.
18M.3.HL.TZ2.12a.i: State a bioinformatic search tool that could be used to perform the alignment.

Sub sections and their related questions

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DP Biology Questionbank

B.5 Bioinformatics

Description

Directly related questions

Sub sections and their related questions