Question

1. If a person has isolated one cheek cell and that cell has 100 mitochondria, how many fragments of DNA would be amplified after 3 rounds of PCR (don’t include the original mitochondria, just the amplified product)?

2. Why do most viruses that cause the common cold, last a while but are not lethal to the host?

3. When using ordered Sordaria, you can measure something that you can do with no other organism, what is it?

Answer 1

Q 1. Answer-

1. The initial DNA number is 100 as we consider each mitochondria contains one DNA molecule and if the PCR is done then this DNA will be amplified. After one cycle of PCR (100×2=200) 200 DNA are formed in PCR.

2. In second cycle of PCR this 200 DNA molecules each strand act as template and (200×2=400) 400 DNA molecules are formed after second cycle.

3. In third cycle each strand of 400DNA molecules act as template and (400×2=800) 800 DNA molecules will be formed at the end of third PCR cycle.

4. So that after 3 rounds of PCR, 800(total DNAfragments)-100(initial DNA fragments)=700 amplified DNA are formed.