B6: SELECTIVE BREEDING + GENETIC ENGINEERING Flashcards
What is selective breeding?
when humans select and breed plants and animals for particular genetic characteristics
Why would someone want to selectively breed plants and animals?
-disease resistance in crops
-animals which produce more meat/milk
-domestic dogs with a gentle nature
-large/unusual flowers
What is the process of selective breeding?
-choose parents with desired characteristics from an existing mixed population
-breed selected parents together
-from the offspring those with desired characteristics are bred together
-this continues over many generations until all offspring show desired characteristic
What does inbreeding result in?
organisms that are prone to disease/inherited defects
What are the advs of selective breeding?
-can breed organisms with useful characteristics (eg: disease resistant crops)
-increase food security (disease resistant crops and breed animals to produce more milk and meat)
What are the disadvs of selective breeding?
-inbreeding results in organisms that are prone to disease/inherited defects
-animal cruelty/can lead to poor quality of life for animals (eg:pigs with breathing problems)
-reduced variation and gene pool
What is genetic engineering?
the process involving modifying the genome of an organism by introducing a gene from another organism to give a desired characteristic
What are the reasons for genetically modifying crops?
-disease/pest/herbicide resistance
-increased yield and increased food availability
-bigger and better quality fruits
-fortifying nutrients
How is genetic engineering used in medicine?
-genetically modified bacterial cells to produce useful substances (eg: insulin)
-gene therapy for inherited disorders
What is the process of genetic engineering?
-useful gene is isolated from organism using enzymes
-useful gene inserted into a vector (eg: bacterial plasmid/virus)
-vector inserted into cells of other organism at an early stage of their development
-cells divide
-organism develops desired characteristics
Describe how bacterial cells can be genetically engineered to produce human insulin
-human insulin gene isolated from human’s DNA using enzymes
-human insulin gene inserted into vector (bacterial plasmid)
-plasmid inserted into bacterial cell
-bacteria multiply
-bacteria produce insulin
-insulin taken and purified and used for type 1 diabetes patient
What are the concerns about GM crops?
-reducing biodiversity
-effects on human health not fully explored
-transplanted genes may ‘get out’ into the natural environment
