1) Produce a box and whisker plot to compare the mean amounts of DNA in micrograms produced using the silica resin spin column method and the inorganic method. NOTE: Data for this can be found in the Refer/Defer area of the Blackboard site. Submit a copy of your plot (you may upload it as a JPEG, Tiff or Picture file).

1) Produce a box and whisker plot to compare the mean amounts of DNA in micrograms produced using the silica resin spin column method and the inorganic method. NOTE: Data for this can be found in the Refer/Defer area of the Blackboard site. Submit a copy of your plot (you may upload it as a JPEG, Tiff or Picture file).

2) Quoting group data from the laboratory practicals found in the Refer/Defer area of the Blackboard site please state which method YOU would recommend for DNA extraction and purification and explain why. Your answer should not exceed 250 words, please give at least one reference source.

3) Write one, clear, concise, experimentally testable null hypothesis regarding the two different methods used in this module to extract and purify DNA (50 words maximum).

4) According to the data issued on Blackboard, which method gives, on average, the highest yield of DNA?

1. Silica Resin Spin column method
2. Inorganic method

5) According to the data issued on Blackboard, which method gives, on average, the purest DNA?

1. Silica Resin Spin column method
2. Inorganic method

6) According to the data issued on Blackboard, which method gives the least consistent yield of DNA?

1. Silica Resin Spin column method
2. Inorganic method

7) According to the data issued on Blackboard, which method is the most consistent with respect to the purity of DNA produced?

1. Silica Resin Spin column method
2. Inorganic method

8) Use the data supplied in the Excel work book found in the Refer/Defer area of the Blackboard site to produce a chart showing a standard curve of DNA migration through a gel. Add one LINEAR line of best fit to the most appropriate data on the graph to create a tool that could be used for accurate interpolation (to find the size of unknown fragments on the same gel, based on their migration distance). NOTE: you will be relying on skills learned and practiced at level 4 to do this. Submit a copy of your graph (you may upload it as a JPEG, Tiff or Picture file)

9) What is the role of GelRed® in Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA fragments? Please select the most correct answer.

1. GelRed® is a nucleic acid dye which enables the measurement of DNA fragments
2. GelRed® is a nucleic acid stain which enables visualisation of DNA and RNA using a spectrophotometer
3. GelRed® is a tracker dye that facilitates visualisation of the movement of DNA through Agarose gels under UV light.
4. GelRed® is a nucleic acid stain which enables the visualisation of DNA and RNA under UV light

10) What is the role of di deoxy DNTPs in a Sanger sequencing reaction? Please select the most correct answer.

1. When ever they are randomly incorporated during a Sanger sequencing reaction di deoxy DNTPs terminate the extension of the new DNA molecule
2. di deoxy DNTPs are the `building blocks` that extend the new DNA molecules in a Sanger sequencing reaction
3.  di deoxy DNTPs make it harder for DNA polymerase to extend the new DNA molecules in a Sanger sequencing reaction
4. di deoxy DNTPs make it easier for DNA polymerase to extend the new DNA molecules in a Sanger sequencing reaction

11) What is the role of the positive control in an enzyme digest reaction? Please select the most correct answer.

1. The positive control in an enzyme digest provides evidence that all of the components were added to the reactions
2. The positive control in an enzyme digest reaction provides evidence that the enzyme is active and that it is cutting as expected
3. The positive control in an enzyme digest reaction enables the investigator to see the band sizes produced by the enzyme
4. The positive control in an enzyme digest reaction provides evidence that the reaction is not contaminated

12) The gel image below shows 7 alleles, let’s call them 1-7 in order of size, with 1 being the smallest and 7 being the largest. In this sample of 11 individuals, which allele appears 4 times

14) Imagine the unlikely case that these 11 individuals were truly representative of the population; what is the frequency (f) of allele 6? Give your answer as a percentage, rounded to one decimal place, do not include the % symbol

15) If the frequency of those exhibiting the phenotype for an autosomal recessive condition caused by a single known mutation in a given population is 1/11254, what is the carrier frequency? Give your answer as a percentage, rounded to three decimal places, do not include the % symbol

16) If the frequency of those homozygous for a specific mutation that causes a given autosomal recessive condition is 1/11254, in a particular population of 542,764 individuals, how many individuals are likely to be carriers of the causative mutation? Please give your answer rounded to a whole number

17) If the frequency of those exhibiting the phenotype for an autosomal recessive condition caused by a single known mutation in a given population is 1/11254, what is the frequency of the wild type allele? Give your answer as a percentage, rounded to three decimal places, do not include the % symbol

The gel image above shows 7 alleles, let’s call them 1-7 in order of size, with 1 being the smallest and 7 being the largest. In this sample of 11 individuals, how many are homozygous at this locus? PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER AS ONE WHOLE NUMBER

18) Please describe Alu elements and give details of their possible effects in humans. 250 words maximum, please fully reference your answer 

19) The image above relates to the SNP rs2494732, please explain what you see and why this SNP is of interest to biological scientists. 300 words maximum, please fully reference your answer.

20) Please produce a Punnett square to show the following cross: X-linked gene for eye colour where brown is dominant and heterozygotes show green eyed phenotypes. The male has blue eyes and the female has green eyes. You may hand draw the image, or produce it using a computer, then save it and upload it as a JPEG, Tiff or Picture file to the relevant field in Blackboard