Metagenomics Aims to Learn About the Diversity of Organisms, Particularly

question 51

Multiple Choice

Metagenomics aims to learn about the diversity of organisms, particularly microbes that inhabit natural environments. J. Craig Venter, a key figure in the race to obtain the human genome sequence, and his colleagues pioneered this approach in a study that analyzed DNA obtained from microbes collected from the Sargasso Sea, an intensively studied, nutrient-impoverished part of the Caribbean lying to the southeast of Bermuda. (C. J. Venter, K. Remington, J. F. Heidelberg, A. L. Halpern, D. Rusch, J. A. Eisen, D. Wu, I. Paulsen, K. E. Nelson, W. Nelson, D. E. Fouts, S. Levy, A. H. Knap, M. W. Lomas, K. Nealson, O. White, J. Peterson, J. Hoffman, R. Parsons, H. Baden-Tillson, C. Pfannkock, Y.-H. Rogers, and H. O. Smith. 2004. Environmental genome shotgun sequencing of the Sargasso Sea. Science 304:66-74.)
-Refer to the paragraph on the Venter et al. paper and the accompanying table. What practical applications for human society may arise first from this or similar metagenomic studies?

• A) New genes with useful properties may be identified and ultimately put to use.
• B) New microbial species could be isolated from seawater.
• C) An increased knowledge of the diversity of marine ecosystems could lead to investigations of diversity in other ecosystems.
• D) Species discovered in the Sargasso Sea may also be found to inhabit less-remote waters.

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Definitions:

Premature Infants

Babies born before the completion of the usual term of pregnancy, often defined as being born before 37 weeks of gestation, which may lead to various health challenges.

Maturation

The process of growth and development, both physically and psychologically, following a biological or innate sequence.

Stability

The state or quality of being stable; firmness in position, continuity without change, dependability, or resistance to change.

Nurture

In psychology, this term emphasizes the role of environmental factors and experiences in shaping an individual's development, as opposed to genetic inheritance.