Concept:Nucleic acid hybridization probes are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules labeled with radioisotopes or fluorescent dyes.
Solution:Probes possess sequence complementarity to specific pathogen genes or mutated human alleles. Because they bind exclusively to complementary target sequences, they serve as highly accurate diagnostic tools for detecting hereditary disorders and infectious diseases in techniques like Southern blotting and FISH.
Why other options are incorrect:- carrier in gene cloning experiments: Plasmids, bacteriophages, and cosmids function as cloning vectors/carriers, not probes.
- cementing material in somatic cell hybridization: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) or inactivated Sendai virus acts as the fusogen, not nucleic acid probes.
- carrier or vector in gene therapy: Viral vectors (retroviruses, adenoviruses) or liposomes act as carriers in gene therapy.
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Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.