Genetic Engineering
Mary- Rose P.
What is Genetic Engineering?
Genetic Engineering is a new
process that scientists use to alter
the genetic instructions in
Some genetic engineering
techniques are as follows:
1. Artificial selection
A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding
2. Cloning
3. Gene splicing
Artificial Selection
1. Artificial selection: breeders
choose which organism to mate to
produce offspring with desired traits.
• When they get offspring with the desired traits,
the maintain them.
Three types of artificial selection:
A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding
A. Selective breeding when animals with desired
characteristics are mated to produce offspring
with those desired traits.
• Example: Champion race horses, cows with tender meat,
large juicy oranges on a tree.
Examples of Selective Breeding
• Angus cows are bred to
increase muscle mass so
that we get more meat,
• Egg-Laying Hen
produces more eggs
than the average hen
B. Hybridizations two individuals with unlike
characteristics are crossed to produce the best in
both organisms.
• Example: Luther Burbank created a disease resistant potato
called the Burbank potato.
• Result: disease resistant plant that makes a lot of potatoes.
Examples of Hybridization
1. Liger: lion and tiger mix
2. Grape + Apple=
Grapple
C. Inbreeding breeding of organism that
genetically similar to maintain desired traits.
• Its how a Doberman remains a Doberman.
Risk: Since both have the same genes, the chance
that a baby will get a recessive genetic
disorder is high.
Cloning
2. Cloning: creating an organism that
is an exact genetic copy of another.
Clone: group of cells or organisms that are
genetically identical as a result of asexual
reproduction
How is Cloning done?
►A single cell is removed from a
parent organism.
► An entire individual is grown from
that cell.
► Each cell in the body has the
same DNA, but cells vary because
different genes are turned on in
each cell.
Dolly
• Shehad the same exact DNA as her
mother and had no father.
• Cloning is a form of asexual reproduction.
• Only one genetic parent.
[Link]
Benefits of cloning:
1. You can make exact copies of
organisms with strong traits.
2. Medical purposes: clone organs for
transplants.
3. Bring back or Stop species from
going extinct.
Risks of cloning:
1. Decreases genetic diversity.
2. If one of your clones gets a
disease, they all get it: same
immune system.
3. Inefficient: high failure rate: 90%+
Gene Splicing
3. Gene splicing: DNA is cut out
of one organism and put into
another organism
• Forexample: The human insulin gene
can be removed from a human cell.
• It can be put into a bacterial cell.
• The bacterial will now make human
insulin.
This picture represents gene splicing.
However, DNA is much smaller.
Its done with high tech lab equipment
since DNA, is too small to hold or see
without a microscope.
The red piece the woman
is holding is an insulin
gene from a human
being. It is being
combined with DNA from
a bacteria.
How are genes cut for gene splicing?
• A bacterial plasmid is used.
The organisms that have DNA
transferred to them are called
transgenic organisms.
Genetic engineering has given rise
to a new technological field called
biotechnology.
Transgenic (GMO) Animals
Transgenic (GMO) animals: genes
inserted into animals so they produce
what humans need.
A. Transgenic cows: gene inserted to
increase milk production.
B. Spider goat: gene from
spider inserted into goat.
• Goats makes silk of the spider
web in their milk.
• Used in bullet proof jackets.
C. Glow-in-the-dark cats
• Scientist used a virus to insert DNA
from jellyfish
• The gene made the cat produce a
fluorescent protein in its fur.
Transgenic Bacteria
Transgenic bacteria: gene inserted
into bacteria so they produce
things humans need.
• For example: Insulin and clotting
factors in blood are now made by
bacteria.
Transgenic Plants
Transgenic plants: plants are given
genes so they meet human needs.
A. Transgenic corn: given a gene
so corn produces a natural
pesticide.
Now they don’t have to be sprayed
with cancer causing pesticides.
B. Venomous cabbage
• genefrom a scorpion tails inserted into
cabbage.
• Cabbage now produces that chemical.
• Corporations state the toxin is modified so
it isn’t harmful to humans.
C. Banana vaccines
• Virus is injected into a banana, the virus DNA
becomes part of the plant.
• When people eat a bite, their immune systems
creates antibodies to fight the disease — just like a
traditional vaccine.
• Vaccines for hepatitis and cholera.
That’s
all
Folks!
