Question

Do restriction enzymes cut DNA?

Answer 1

Restriction Enzymes: The majority of certain bacteria manufacture restriction enzymes, which have the ability to cleave DNA molecules at or near a particular sequence of nucleotides.

DNA:

DNA is a molecule found inside cells that carries the genetic material necessary for an organism to develop and function.

1. Restriction endonucleases, another name for restriction enzymes, recognize a certain arrangement of nucleotides in double-stranded DNA and create a clean cut in the DNA.
2. They are essential for dividing genes and creating DNA molecules that can be used for cloning.
3. A restriction enzyme is used by a bacterium to protect itself from bacteriophages, commonly referred to as phages, which are bacterial viruses.
4. A phage inserts its DNA into a bacterial cell when it infects a bacterium so that it can multiply.
5. By slicing the phage DNA into multiple pieces, the restriction enzyme inhibits it from replicating.
6. Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors because they cut DNA.