Genetics: Analysis of Genes and Genomes: Keyword Hot Links for chapter 2

DNA is like Coca-Cola®? According to this keyword site it is. It contains sugar, which is highly soluble in water; phosphate groups, which are of moderate solubility; and bases, which have extremely low solubility. (The base in the soft drink is caffeine, which is chemically similar to adenine and can sometimes be incorporated into DNA, causing a mutation.) As this keyword site emphasizes, the most important property contributing to the stability of double-stranded DNA is the stacking of the base-pairs on top of one another, due to hydrophobic interactions. For further discussion of this feature of DNA, and much else of interest regarding the discovery and analysis of this critical biological macromolecule, consult the keyword site.

The concept of the polymerase chain reaction PCR occurred to Kary Mullis one night while cruising on Route 128 from San Francisco to Mendocino. He immediately realized that this approach would be unique in its ability to amplify, at an exponential rate, a specific nucleotide sequence present in a vanishingly small quantity amidst a much larger background of total nucleic acid. Once its feasibility was demonstrated, PCR was quickly recognized as a major technical advance in molecular biology. The new technique earned Mullis the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and today it is the basis of a large number of experimental and diagnostic procedures. At this keyword site you can learn more about the development of PCR from Mullis's original conception, including two major innovations that were necessary to perfect the process.

Human beings rely on plants for food, shelter, and medicines. Although at least 5000 species are cultivated, modern agricultural research emphasizes a few widely cultivated crops while largely ignoring plants such as Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea), Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), Oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus). To learn more about these minor crops and the use of molecular markers for characterizing and preserving their genetic diversity, consult this keyword site.