Question

A palaeontologist has recovered a bit of organic material from the 400–year old preserved skin of an extinct dodo. She would like to compare DNA from a sample with DNA from living birds. Which of the following techniques would be most useful for increasing the amount of DNA available for testing?

• A. Electrophoresis
• B. Ti plasmid technology
• C. Polymerase chain reaction
• D. Restriction fragment analysis

Answer 1

The correct option is C Polymerase chain reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it to a large enough amount to study in detail. Hence, PCR would be most useful for increasing the amount of DNA of dodo available for testing.

Electrophoresis is a laboratory technique used to separate DNA or RNA based on their size and electrical charge.

In plant genetic engineering, the Ti plasmid technology can be used to carry foreign genes into plant cells.

In restriction fragment analysis, a DNA sample is digested into fragments by one or more restriction enzymes, and the resulting restriction fragments are then separated by gel electrophoresis and analysed.