ABSTRACT
The revolutionar y new technique s k n o w n collectively as recombinant DNA technol-
ogy or genetic engineering hav e provided the means for analyzing and cloning genes,
altering them in precise ways, and introducing them into cells of the same or differ-
ent species . Thes e abilities depend o n the availability of m a ny restriction enzymes
that cleave D N A at specific sites : ligase tha t joins D NA strands, a nd R NA reverse
transcriptase an d hybridizatio n techniques fo r annealin g complementar y D N A
and R NA sequences. Als o required are cloning vectors or cloning vehicles that can
introduce a D NA fragment into a n appropriate host cel l for amplification, a nd th e
techniques fo r obtainin g th e sequenc e o f nucleotide s i n a clone d D N A segment .
These technique s ar e the produc t of many years of basic D NA a nd R NA research.
