Term
CELL RESEARCH AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL
SCANNING TUNNELLING MICROSCOPE (STM) & ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE (AFM) |
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Definition
* 2 new electron microscopes that allow researchers to "see" individual atoms or molecules by scanning the surface of an object with an ultra-fine tip. A computer program is then used to produce an image of the scanned surface |
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Term
CELL RESEARCH AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL
GENE MAPPING |
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Definition
* A technique used to locate the position of specific genes with the genetic make-up of an organism
* With the new microscope technology, scientists have been able to go within the cellular level and study the genetic material on a molecular level. This has led to gene mapping many plants & animal species |
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Term
CELL RESEARCH AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL
GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN (GFP) |
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Definition
* A process that allows cell activities to be studied by attaching green fluorescent protein to particular parts of the cell
* In GFP technology, special fluorescent proteins from luminescent jellyfish are attached to particular parts of a cell to indicate what is happening with that part of the cell |
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Term
CELL RESEARCH AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL
X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY |
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Definition
* The study of the structure of molecules using X rays, sensors to analyze the scattering of the X rays, & computer technology to analyze the data
* Is used in combination with computer technology to determine whether molecules are coiled or straight & whether the molecule is made of repeated units |
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