Dinosaurs In Jurassic Park

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The idea of a zoo filled with dinosaurs is simultaneously exciting and terrifying, and Steven Spielberg displays this effectively in his hit film “Jurassic Park.” The protagonists of the movie, two archeologists, are brought to explore the park are amazed and excited for the future of science, yet weary of what might happen with the return of an extinct ecosystem. As debated in the movie, for scientists and viewers alike, the idea of bringing dinosaurs back from the dead poses the questions: Can we do it? And if so, should we? The answer to the former question is simply: no. If scientists could bring dinosaurs back from the dead with today’s technologies, it would have already been done. In the movie, the geneticists extract DNA from dinosaur blood found in …show more content…

If found, as in the movie, it would not be in complete strands. Scientists would first use DNA sequencing technology to locate the missing areas of DNA. One form of this process done today is accomplished through the use of gel electrophoresis and computers. To do this, the DNA is placed at one end of a gelatin-like substance. An electrical current is then run through the gel, causing the shorter strands of DNA to move a longer distance across the gel and the longer ones to move a shorter distance. As this occurs, the machine is able to place the bases in order. After gaps in the DNA have been located, restriction enzymes are then used to cut DNA in specific places in order to place the desired genes in these gaps. Cloning would be done by placing an embryo with said DNA into a female animal with similar eggs and cytoplasm to a dinosaur, which happened to be an ostrich in the movie. PCR could then be used for mass production of the dinosaur DNA. A primer would be produced in a lab, then connected to one strand of the DNA. Next, DNA polymerase would attach matching nucleotides to the existing strand of DNA, effectively copying

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