The Biological Question Thread

[TrueLight]

backbone...
bps can pair by themselves v h bonds

[sillysmile]

backbone...
bps can pair by themselves v h bonds

yeah I thought so, thanks

[sillysmile]

do recombinant plasmids need to be placed with a donor cell, in order for successful insertion into a target cell,
or can they be inserted without being placed within a donor cell?
thanks.

[sillysmile]

Also, is a liposome a micelle?

[thushan]

No: Liposomes are made out of a phospholipid bilayer, and a micelle is made out of a phospholipid layer - so a liposome can carry aqueous substances while a micelle can only carry lipid-soluble substances

[Russ]

do recombinant plasmids need to be placed with a donor cell, in order for successful insertion into a target cell,
or can they be inserted without being placed within a donor cell?
thanks.

Either. Relying on a donor cell takes longer/has a lower success rate, which is why we usually use other processes.

Electroporation is the standard, just zap stuff with electricity so that it's induced to take up plasmids

[sillysmile]

here we go again;
how could one accurately define polymorphism?

[sillysmile]

also; do most fossils that are above a certain age, require mineralisation, in order to be preserved as a fossil?
(this might be a slightly confusing question)

[sillysmile]

additionally; what is the difference between a selection pressure, and a selective agent?

[Russ]

here we go again;
how could one accurately define polymorphism?

Polymorphism occurs when there are two or more alleles present in a population, where the rarest allele is at a frequency higher than can be explained by mutation alone.

It's critical that you have the second bit about mutation, multiple alleles alone means nothing.

additionally; what is the difference between a selection pressure, and a selective agent?

At a guess, pressure is something macroscopic (say the environment) whilst a selective agent is a much more specific factor (say an antibiotic on a culture dish)

[sillysmile]

yep, thank you..
I think you are actually right about your guess too.

[masonnnn]

 

also; do most fossils that are above a certain age, require mineralisation, in order to be preserved as a fossil?
(this might be a slightly confusing question)

I'm relatively sure all fossils in sedimentary rock result in mineralization, only exceptions would be like tree sap or ice fossils which we barely have mentioned.
for instance a bone would decompose after less than 100 years so the only way it can really be preserved over thousands and thousands of years is by being replaced by minerals and forming a rock-based fossil.

[sillysmile]

okay, this was in the 2010 insight.

Question 8
A woman with type B blood has two children, one with type A blood and one with type O blood. Her partner has type O blood. What can be concluded from this information?
A. Neither the woman nor the man could be the biological parent of the child with type A blood.
B. The man could not be the biological father of either child.
C. The man could be the biological father of the child with type O blood, but not the child with type A blood.
D. The man must be the biological father of the child with type O blood and could be the biological father of the child with type A blood.

what do you believe the answer is?

[akira88]

okay, this was in the 2010 insight.

Question 8
A woman with type B blood has two children, one with type A blood and one with type O blood. Her partner has type O blood. What can be concluded from this information?
A. Neither the woman nor the man could be the biological parent of the child with type A blood.
B. The man could not be the biological father of either child.
C. The man could be the biological father of the child with type O blood, but not the child with type A blood.
D. The man must be the biological father of the child with type O blood and could be the biological father of the child with type A blood.

what do you believe the answer is?

C.
 What's the right answer?

[sillysmile]

yes, C was marked correct, but I don't understand why A can't also be correct.