Which term describes the process of taking a DNA fragment and combining it with another DNA strand to produce new genetic material?

Which term describes the process of taking a DNA fragment and combining it with another DNA strand to produce new genetic material?

• A. Recombinant DNA
• B. Genetic testing
• C. Epigenetics
• D. Homeobox genes

Answer: (A)

Recombinant DNA describes joining DNA fragments from different sources to form a new genetic molecule. In practice, scientists cut DNA with restriction enzymes, paste fragments together with DNA ligase, and often insert the construct into a plasmid to propagate in cells. This creates new genetic material that blends features from the original pieces and can be used to study gene function or produce proteins. The other terms refer to different ideas: genetic testing analyzes DNA to detect mutations or traits; epigenetics looks at heritable changes in gene expression that don’t alter the DNA sequence itself; and Homeobox genes are a family of developmental regulatory genes.

Recombinant DNA describes joining DNA fragments from different sources to form a new genetic molecule. In practice, scientists cut DNA with restriction enzymes, paste fragments together with DNA ligase, and often insert the construct into a plasmid to propagate in cells. This creates new genetic material that blends features from the original pieces and can be used to study gene function or produce proteins. The other terms refer to different ideas: genetic testing analyzes DNA to detect mutations or traits; epigenetics looks at heritable changes in gene expression that don’t alter the DNA sequence itself; and Homeobox genes are a family of developmental regulatory genes.