Question

ii) Classify the restriction enzymes. Differentiate them on the basis of their action on DNA. ​

Answer 1

Restriction enzyme, also called restriction endonuclease, a protein produced by bacteria that cleaves DNA at specific sites along the molecule. In the bacterial cell, restriction enzymes cleave foreign DNA, thus eliminating infecting organisms. Restriction enzymes can be isolated from bacterial cells and used in the laboratory to manipulate fragments of DNA, such as those that contain genes; for this reason they are indispensible tools of recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering).