DNA sequencing is the process of determining the exact order of nucleotides (adenine [A], thymine [T], cytosine [C], and guanine [G]) within a DNA molecule. It is a key tool in genomics, molecular biology, and medicine.
Basic DNA Sequencing Questions
1. What is DNA sequencing?
Answer: DNA sequencing is the process of determining the precise nucleotide order in a DNA strand. It helps scientists understand genetic information and mutations associated with diseases.
2. What are the four nucleotide bases in DNA?
Answer:
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T)
- Cytosine (C)
- Guanine (G)
3. Who developed the first DNA sequencing method?
Answer: Frederick Sanger developed the first widely used DNA sequencing technique in 1977, known as the Sanger sequencing or chain-termination method.
Technical Questions
4. Explain Sanger sequencing.
Answer:
Sanger sequencing uses dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs), which terminate DNA strand elongation. DNA polymerase incorporates these labeled ddNTPs during replication, and the resulting fragments are separated by size using electrophoresis to determine the DNA sequence.
5. What is Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)?
Answer:
NGS is a high-throughput technology that allows sequencing of millions of DNA fragments simultaneously, providing faster, more accurate, and cost-effective results compared to traditional methods like Sanger sequencing.