Gene technology Flashcards
what is the human genome project?
sequenced all of the genetic material of a human- it’s genome
what are the potential uses of mapping the human genome?
-personalilised medicine _drugs that are given only if your DNA will allow it to work)
-sequencing of DNA in cancer cells (allow better diagnosis and treatment)
-gene therapy
what are the potential negative impacts of the human genome?
-who should know?
-should you be able to find out the risks of getting a disease?
what is gene therapy?
the placement of a fully functioning allele into a cell containing a faulty allele for the same gene
describe the process of gene therapy
- normal version of the gene is cut out of the DNA of a healthy person using restriction enzymes
- DNA is amplified producing many copies of the healthy allele
- a virus is modified to carry copies of the healthy allele within its genetic code- the virus is a vector
- the virus is injected into a person with the genetic disorder and infects their cells
- the virus inserts copies of the healthy allele into the cells of the person with the genetic disorder
what are the problems with gene therapy?
-healthy alleles may not go into every target cell
-healthy alleles may join chromosomes in random places, so thy do not work properly
-treatments may only be short lived, as treated cells may be replaced by the patients own untreated cells
-changing a babies characteristics is the start of designer babies which leads to ethical issues and discrimination
what are the possible future advances of medicine?
-development of personalised medicines resulting in fewer side effects and better outcomes
-development of new gene therapy treatments for diseases that currently have no cure
-ability to locate genes that might be linked to inherited diseases
smoking can cause a type of cardiovascular disease where the arteries of the heart become blocked. What is the type of treatment for this disease?
bypass surgery
give two causes of non-communicable diseases
-genetic inheritance
-mutation
give some medical treatments for cardiovascular disease
-bypass surgery
-drugs
-pacemaker
-heart transplant
what do all cancers have in common?
caused by uncontrolled cell growth
list some risk factors for cancer
-genetic links
-excessive exposure to UV light
name the two phases of the cell cycle
interphase and mitosis
what three things do cells do whilst they are in interphase?
-growing
-replicating DNA
-cell functions
why hair can grow up to half an inch each month?
they do mitosis regularly
why do spinal cord and brain injuries not heal well?
they don’t perform mitosis
why are checkpoints important in the cell cycle?
to check the cell is growing and replicating its DNA correctly and that it’s functioning
what happens if a cell ‘fails’ a checkpoint?
the cell does apoptosis (self destructs)
why is the checkpoint process important?
stops damaged cells from replicating
what is a tumor?
mass of cancer cells
name some risk factors that increase the chances of cells becoming cancerous
-genetics
-diet
-tobacco
-hormones
-obesity
-radiation
how does chemotherapy work?
by targeting cells that go through mitosis quickly
what hormone are cancer cells able to produce?
growth hormone
why is the production of this hormone problematic?
the blood starts to supply the cancer cells and give them nutrients- prevents healthy cells from getting nutrients and allows the cancer cells to keep replicating
