Untitled Quiz

Genetic Engineering Overview

• Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism, also known as genetic modification.
• This involves technology that modifies genetic information in a plant, animal or human to produce a specific trait or characteristic.
• Organisms created through genetic engineering are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Key Terms

• Restriction enzyme (restriction endonuclease): A protein produced by bacteria that cuts DNA at specific sites along the molecule.
• Genetically Modified Organism (GMO): A plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology.
• Transgenic: An organism or cell whose genome has been altered by introducing one or more foreign DNA sequences from another species artificially. This is done in a laboratory for research purposes.
• Protein: Primary components of living cells, built from amino acids.
• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): A molecule found in every cell nucleus, composed of four subunits represented by the letters A, T, G, and C.
• Recombination: The process of inserting a new gene into a bacterial DNA plasmid.
• Biotechnology: The use of biology to solve problems and create useful products.
• Cloning: A technique for creating exact genetic copies of living things. Dolly the sheep was the first cloned mammal (1996), a Scottish scientific accomplishment requiring 276 attempts.

DNA's Role in Genetic Engineering

• DNA acts as a universal language, as the genetic code is the same in all organisms. This similarity is crucial to genetic engineering's success.

Examples of GMOs

• Glow-in-the-dark mice: Using compounds to create proteins that make them glow like fireflies, potentially useful for vaccines or cancer therapies.
• Tobacco plants: Modified with a firefly gene to produce glowing traits.
• Modern crops: Modern corn and carrots have evolved from earlier forms (teocinte and wild carrot), indicating successful genetic modification over time. Tomato domestication dates back to 500 BC in Mexico.
• Pest-resistant cabbage: Developed using genes that program scorpion poison; modified to kill caterpillars without harming humans.
• Oil-eating bacteria: Organisms genetically modified to consume oil spills.
• Drought-resistant seeds: Modified crops, like those resistant to freezing temperatures and/or producing better yield for paper production.
• Strawberries with antifreeze: Introducing genes to prevent freezing-related damage.
• Featherless chickens: Adapted to warmer climates.
• Less-flatulent cows: Developed to produce less methane.
• Goats that produce spider silk: Modified to produce spider silk proteins in their milk, potentially applicable in various products from ligaments to parachutes.
• Tadpoles that fluoresce: Created to detect pollution readily and cheaply.

Uses of Genetic Engineering

• Insulin production: Used to treat diabetes, formerly produced from pigs and cows.
• Growth hormone: For dwarfism treatment, developed through genetic engineering.
• Vaccine production: Genetically engineered methods used to produce vaccines.
• Disease-resistant plants: Engineering plants, like tomatoes, to resist disease.
• Faster-growing livestock (pigs, cows, fish): Modified to develop faster and grow more quickly.

Plasmids/Viruses as Vectors

• Plasmids (circular DNA in bacteria) are often used as vectors to carry recombinant DNA. They are capable of self-replication, useful to transmit genes into host cells.
• Viruses are other vectors that accomplish similar tasks.

Genetic Engineering Process

• A gene of interest is taken from a cell.
• The gene is inserted into the DNA of another cell.
• The host cell then reproduces, containing recombinant DNA.
• The desired protein, product, or trait is then produced.

Risks of GE

• Higher risk of cancer in humans
• Increased chance of infection in animals
• Creation of new microbes resistant to antibiotics.