Classification

Living things are divided into five groups called the kingdoms these are:

1. animals -Fish mammals, Reptiles etc
2. Plants - grasses, Trees, etc
3. fungi (moulds, mushrooms, yeast)
4. prokaryotes (bacteria, blue-green algae) All single-celled organisms without a nucleus
5. protists - eukaryotic single-celled organisms e.g. algae.

The kingdoms are then subdivided into smaller and smaller groups that have common features - Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Three Domains- All organisms should first be divided into three large groups called domasins. Archaea and Bacteria are two of these domains. The third is Eukarya.

Archaea- Organisms look similar to bacteria but are actually quite different - differences in their DNA and RNA sequences show. First found in extreme places such as hot springs and salt lakes

Bacteria - This domain contains true bacteria such as E. coli

Eukarya - This domain includes a broad range of organisms including fungi, plants, animals and protists.

Plasmid - Small loops of DNA found in the cytoplasm of bacteria

Restricion Enzyme - An enzyme that cuts DNA molecules into pieces

Ligase - The enzyme that joins two DNA molecules together

Sticky Ends - A short section of single stranded DNA at the end of a piece of DNA that has been cut by a restriction enzyme.

Vector Any DNA molecule used to carry new DNA into another cell.

How Genetic engineering works: