How Are Plasmids Used in Molecular Cloning?
Plasmids, or vectors for the remainder of this piece, are required for a type of molecular cloning known as ligation cloning. The DNA fragment of any living thing to be cloned is isolated using specialized enzymes. It is then inserted into a vector containing no other significant genetic information and marked with a chemical tag. The vector is introduced into a prolific, but non-pathogenic bacterium. The bacterium is encouraged to grow and reproduce by cellular division. The individual cells of the bacterium are then analyzed. As the vector should have combined with the genetic structure of the bacterium, the DNA fragment will have been copied to every new cell. The genome of something as small as a bacterium can still be very complex, and for that reason the chemical tag should indicate under a specialized microscope the exact placement of each cloned DNA fragment. The cloning is complete, and the DNA fragments can be isolated and used according to the needs of whoever did the clonin
