BRAINCAKEGene Guns
A gene gun fires DNA directly into cells. The method is also called biolistics (biological ballistics) or particle bombardment.
How it works
1. Copies of the DNA to be inserted are coated onto microscopic particles of gold or tungsten, about 1 µm across. These metals are dense and unreactive.
2. The particles are loaded into the gun and fired at the target tissue at high speed, driven by a burst of high-pressure helium gas.
3. The particles pass through the cell wall and cell surface membrane. In some cells the DNA reaches the nucleus and becomes incorporated into a chromosome.
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Key terms in this lesson
- monocot
- A flowering plant with a single seed leaf, such as wheat, rice and maize.
More in Gene Technology
- Producing Recombinant DNA
- Identifying Transformed Organisms
- Vectors
- Liposome Wrapping
- Microinjection
- Gene Silencing
- Transgenic Plants
- Cloning Plants
All 17 lessons in Gene Technology · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics