Biotechnology

AP Biology· difficulty 2/5

Southern blot of three patients Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 3

Lane 2 shows two bands, while Lanes 1 and 3 each show one. What does the Southern blot most likely indicate about Patient 2?

  • A

    Patient 2 is heterozygous for two restriction-fragment alleles at this locus.

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  • B

    Patient 2 has no DNA in the lane.

  • C

    Patient 2's DNA was not digested.

  • D

    Patient 2 is homozygous and has a deletion.

Explanation

Southern blots detect specific DNA fragments by hybridization to a labeled probe. Two bands of different sizes in one lane suggest a heterozygote inheriting two distinct alleles distinguished by a restriction-site polymorphism.

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