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Scientists investigated the role of a protein called CENP-W in mitosis - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 5 - 2018 - Paper 3
Question 5
Scientists investigated the role of a protein called CENP-W in mitosis. Their method involved cell fractionation and ultracentrifugation. The scientists began by ly... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Scientists investigated the role of a protein called CENP-W in mitosis - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 5 - 2018 - Paper 3
Step 1
Step 2
Explain how ultracentrifugation separates CENP-W from other molecules.
Answer
Ultracentrifugation involves spinning the mixture at very high speeds. This generates a high centrifugal force that separates molecules based on their mass, size, or density. In this process, CENP-W will separate from other molecules depending on its unique physical properties.
Step 3
Suggest how the siRNA produced these results.
Answer
The siRNA binds to and destroys mRNA for CENP-W, thus preventing its translation into protein. As a result, less CENP-W is produced over time. The gel electrophoresis results show decreased levels of CENP-W protein after treatment with siRNA, showing the effective silencing of the gene.