How do the small RNA fragments produced during RNAi actually silence a gene?

1. RNA interference (RNAi) was first characterised in which organism?

2. ‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. Why? 1. It is used in developing gene silencing therapies. 2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer. 3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies. 4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens.

3. What triggers the RNA interference process inside a cell?

4. How do the small RNA fragments produced during RNAi actually silence a gene?

5. What advantage does RNAi’s gene-specific silencing offer for medicine?