Biology Criteria A - Biotechnologies Revision PDF

Biology Criteria A -- Biotechnologies Revision - types of cloning - how these types of cloning are achieved/work - Pros and cons of cloning - how selective breeding works - comparing selective breeding and natural selection - impact of selective breeding on agriculture pros and con...

Biology Criteria A -- Biotechnologies Revision - types of cloning - how these types of cloning are achieved/work - Pros and cons of cloning - how selective breeding works - comparing selective breeding and natural selection - impact of selective breeding on agriculture pros and cons - explain gene transfer as a process - mass production of insulin - types of stem cells - uses of stem cells - ethical concerns around stem cells - how the process of bioprinting works **Types of Cloning** - Tissue Culture - Cutting - Embryo Splitting - Nuclear Transfer **How They Work** Tissue Culture: - Cells are taken from parent plan - These cells are placed in an agar growth medium containing nutrients - Samples develop into plantlets - Plantlets put into compost which is a copy of parent plant Pros Cons -------------- ------------------- High yield Precise equipment High earning Expensive Specialized staff Cutting: - Cut just below the bottom of each cutting from the parent plant - Place the cutting in soil - Cutting grows into new identical plant Pros Cons ------- ----------- Cheap Low yield Easy Embryo Splitting: - Cells are split from a blastocyst (the ball of cells that forms five to six days after the egg is fertilized), its undifferentiated - It can then be placed into a surrogate Pros Cons ------------ ------------------------------------------ High yield Probability of clone varies Faster expensive Requires specialized equipment and staff Nuclear Transfer: - Artificial activation = enucleated (shock fuse, simulate growth) Pros Cons -------------------------------------- ---------------- Can help preserve endangered species Low efficiency Useful in studying diseases by High cost **How Selective Breeding Works** 1. Desirable trait e.g. blue eyes 2. Breed with another organism 3. Offspring have trait or not (if not die) 4. Offspring with trait breeds again 5. Generation to generation 6. Continue until trait is common in generation **Comparing Selective Breeding and Natural Selection** Difference in natural selection and selective breeding is that in selective breeding we chose the trait we want and natural selection whichever trait with genetic advantage is passed on. **Pros and Cons of Selective Breeding in Agriculture** Pros Cons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- Improved yield (enhanced productivity, such as higher yield, faster growth or increased resistance to pets and diseases Reduction in genetic diversity Improved quality (crops can be bred for better taste, nutritional value or aesthetics) Unintended consequences Disease resistance Ethical concerns Adaptability to environmental conditions **Explain Gene Transfer as a Process** Restriction enzyme = cutting DNA Ligase enzyme = sticking DNA Use the restriction enzyme to cut out DNA from bacteria and enzyme and then you have sticky ends exposed. Use the ligase enzyme to stick the insulin the bacteria, this genetically engineers insulin. 1. Restriction enzyme 2. Create sticky ends and complimentary base 3. Creating recombinant DNA 4. Place back in DNA 5. Bacteria grows in vat 6. Protein synthesis e.g insulin Step 1: Identify the Desired Gene Step 2: Extract the Gene -- restriction enzyme (cut DNA) - Scientists use special tools to cut out the desired gene from the DNA of the donor organism. Step 4: Insert the Gene (Ligase enzyme) - The prepared gene is inserted into the DNA of the target organism. There are several methods for this: - Using a Vector: A harmless virus or a small circular DNA piece (called a plasmid) carries the gene into the target organism. Step 5: Test and Grow - The cells with the new gene are grown in the lab to ensure the transfer was successful. \*\*\*\*look in book for diagram **Mass Production of Insulin** Insert the human insulin gene into the plasmid. Researchers return the plasmid to the bacteria and put the recombinant bacteria in vats containing CO2, O2, water, and nutrients. The recombinant bacteria use the gene to begin producing human insulin. **Types of Stem Cells** 3 different forms: - Totipotent - Pluripotent - Multipotent Totipotent: - Found in embryo - Sometimes known as embryonic stem cells - Develop into any type of cells - When you take it most of the time the embryo is destroyed Pros Cons --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Unlimited cell differentiation Loss of potential life Tissue and organ creation Risk of tumor Personalize med due to immune compatibility Requires advanced technology Unpredicted differentiation Pluripotent: - \`found in inner cell mass of a blastocyst - Type of body cell or somatic cell for development Pros Cons ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broad differentiation Differentiation control is technically challenging Disease and drug modelling Risk of development of tumors Personalized medicine Genetic abnormality possibility Can be generated from adult cell Informed consent for generating these cells may be difficult to source Reduces immune rejection risk Multipotent: - Found in bone marrow - Adult stem cells Pros Cons ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ Tissue specific differentiation, ideal for treating disease related to their tissue of origin Limited differentiation Reduce the risk of tumor May reduce their long-term utility Established therapy Age related decline Immune compatibility Difficulty harvesting **Uses of Stem Cells** - Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering (repairing damaged tissues, organ repair) - Treatment of diseases (blood-related disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) - Drug testing and development (drug screening, stem cells are used to test the safety and effectiveness of new drugs on specific cell types, disease modeling) - Research and understanding development - Cosmetic and anti-aging therapies **Ethical Concerns Around Stem Cells** - Destruction of embryos, debates about when human life begins and the moral status of embryos - Potential for exploitation, some argue that creating embryos specifically for research purposes could commodify human life - Informed consent, ethical concerns arise regarding the informed consent of donors, particularly for embryos left over from IVF - Genetic modification, stem cell research combined with gene-editing technologies might lead to creating designed babies with selected traits - Unequal access to benefits, advanced stem cells may only be available to wealthy individuals creating inequality in access to life-saving treatments **How the Process of Bioprinting Works** - Organ and tissue creation - Increase in transplant ready organs - Already used skin, bone and heart tissue Pros Cons ------------------- ------------------------------------ More accessible Time taken is long Quicker treatment Expensive Save life Specialized staff and technologies Less rejection Stem cells Bioinks contain different types of cells and is what is used to create the thing which can be one cell or multiple. - Cartridges filled with bioinks - The printer extrudes bioink layer by layer according to 3d blueprint - After deposition the bioink is crosslinked to stabilize the structure - Printed structure are placed in a bioreactor, a controlled environment that provides the necessary nutrients, oxygen and growth factors for the cells to grow and differentiate.