Final answer:
A collection of many different recombinant molecules collected for replication and maintenance is known as a DNA Library, not to be confused with a plasmid or vector, which is just the vehicle for individual gene manipulation within such libraries.
Step-by-step explanation:
A collection of many different recombinant molecules that can be maintained and replicated is called a DNA Library. This library contains a representation of all possible fragments of a specific genome.
Molecular cloning techniques are employed to create genomic libraries by cloning genomic fragments into plasmid vectors or bacteriophage, with plasmids often serving as the vehicle for this process.
In the context of cloning, plasmids, which are small circular DNA molecules that replicate independently of chromosomal DNA, serve as vectors. The term vector is used interchangeably with plasmid in this case, as both facilitate the transfer and replication of DNA fragments within a host organism.
It is important to differentiate between plasmids (vectors), and the broader concept of a DNA library. While plasmids are instrumental in the manipulation of individual genes, a genomic library encompasses a much larger scale, potentially containing the entire genetic makeup of an organism as a collection of recombinant DNA molecules.
The primary purpose of a genomic library is to allow researchers to study, manipulate, and sequence specific fragments of DNA, which could include genes or noncoding regions.
To do this, scientists propagate the bacterial hosts that have taken up the plasmid with the foreign DNA, thereby replicating the contained DNA fragment for further research.