What are two advantages of detecting genetic polymorphisms with the PCR method as compared to detecting such polymorphisms by digesting total genomic DNA extracted from an organism, and detecting polymorphisms using the Southern blot procedure?

Microsatellite sequences consist of short repeats and are highly variable in most organisms. Larger fragments run more slowly (closer to the origin) than small pieces.during agarose gel electrophoresis. Diagram what an agarose gel would appear like after amplifying the DNA of four individuals for a microsatellite which give total band sizes as follows: #1: 250, 300; #2: 300, 400; #3: 500, 600; #4: 200, 700. If individual #1 (a woman) married individual #4 (a man), what types might be observed in their children?

Compare the likely impact of a silent, a missense or a nonsense mutation in a gene on the ability of an organism carrying the mutation to survive. (Assume that normal function of the gene is required for survival). What difference will it likely make if the mutation is in a homozygous or a heterozygous state in the organism?

Also, Problems 7.2, 7.5, 7.7 and 7.9 (For 7.9, use a figure of 30,000 genes instead of their 80,000, as we now believe that this is closer to the actual number).