NEETZoologyBiotechnology - Principles and Processes
What is the role of ampicillin in this process?
Options
- AIt is used to treat recipient cells
- BIt is used to select transformed cells
- CIt is used to synthesize recombinant DNA
- DIt is used to incubate with a restriction enzyme
Correct answer
B. It is used to select transformed cells
Step-by-step solution
There are several methods of introducing the ligated DNA into recipient cells. Recipient cells after making them ‘competent’ to receive, take up DNA present in its surrounding. So, if a recombinant DNA bearing gene for resistance to an antibiotic (e.g., ampicillin) is transferred into E. coli cells, the host cells become transformed into ampicillin-resistant cells. If we spread the transformed cells on agar plates containing ampicillin, only transformants will grow, untransformed recipient cells will die. Since, du