Gene technology and ethics

Question 1

Why are ethical considerations important?

Answer 1

Protection of human rights/environment

Lack of ethics -=-> damage public trust

Question 2

Give an example of insect-resistant plants:

Answer 2

Soybeans –> yield reduced by pests

GM soybeans to be insect resistant

Transformed plant via gene found in bacteria –> produces Bt protein toxic to some insects

Question 3

Another example of GM crops:

Answer 3

Tomatoes –> picked unripe then chemically forced to ripen

Silenced gene responsible fro ripening

Didn’t make it to shelves due to backlash

Question 4

Pros of pest resistance

Answer 4

Reduces pesticide spraying

Protects environment

Helps poor farmers

Increases yield

Question 5

Cons of pest resistance:

Answer 5

Toxins in plant may affect non-pest insects + insect-eating predators.

Insect pests may become resistant

Question 6

Pros of disease resistance:

Answer 6

Crops become resistant to common plant disease

Reduces crop loss/increases yield

Question 7

Cons of disease resistance:

Answer 7

Transferred genes may spread to wild populations –> super weeds

Question 8

Pros of herbicide resistance:

Answer 8

Reduces competing weeds

Increases yield

Question 9

Cons of herbicides:

Answer 9

Reduces biodiversity if overused

Fear of super weeds

Question 10

Pros of extended shelf life:

Answer 10

Reduces food waste

Question 11

Cons of extended shelf life:

Answer 11

Reduce commercial value + demand for crop.

Question 12

Pros for growing conditions:

Answer 12

Flood/drought resistant –> grown in wide range of conditions

Question 13

Pros of nutritional value:

Answer 13

Can be increased -addition of vitamins (golden rice)

Question 14

Cons of nutritional value:

Answer 14

Allergic to different proteins made by GM crops

Question 15

Pros of medicinal uses:

Answer 15

Plant sued to produce vaccines/medication

Question 16

How are patents used?

Answer 16

Prevent people using new technology without payment.

LEDCs prevented from using patents

Question 17

What are some issues with patenting?

Answer 17

Patents only allow to be used/sold within that year of purchase

Question 18

Describe how knock out mice sued for medicinal research:

Answer 18

Have inactivated existing gene by replacing it with artificial piece of DNA.

Used to study:
-> Cancer
-> Obesity
-> Diabetes
-> Parkinson’s

Offer biological explanation on how drugs/therapies are developed/tested.

Question 19

What does the term ‘pharming’ mean?

Answer 19

Genetically engineering animals to produce pharmaceuticals.

Question 20

How can GM pathogens be used for research?

Answer 20

GM bacteria/yeast –> used to store a living record of DNA of another organism (source of DNA fragments

-> Epidemiological/medical research

Question 21

Example of GM pathogen sued in healthcare:

Answer 21

T-Killer/Polio cells genetically engineered to kill cancer cells

Question 22

What are the ethical issues around GM pathogens?

Answer 22

Researcher infected by pathogen –> mass outbreak

genetically altered pathogen revert back to being pathogenic –> mass outbreak

Can be used as biowarfare (malice intent)

Question 23

Define gene therapy:

Answer 23

Helps to cure inherited disorders caused buy abnormal genes/chromosomes.

Not currently widely used –> many clinical trials going on

Question 24

What do you need to consider about cause of disorder before you treat it?

Answer 24

If disorder dominant, you silence allele through inserting a sequence of DNA into middle of it

If disorder = recessive, add working dominant allele

Question 25

How do liposomes work as vectors?

Answer 25

Functioning gene isolated from human cell = inserted into plasmid Plasmid extracted = wrapped in lipid molecule (forms liposome) Liposome sprayed into patient airways Pass through plasma membrane of cell + nucleus

Question 26

How do viruses work as vectors?

Answer 26

Grow harmless adenovirus in epithelial cells in lab. Add recombinant plasmids with functional geen Virus isolated from epithelial cells = purified Virus sprayed in nostrils of patients Virus injects DNA in epithelial cells of patients lungs

Question 27

Describe germ line cell gene therapy:

Answer 27

Corrected allele isnerted into fertilised egg produced via IVF Successful = all cells of embryo contain corrected allele when cell divides by mitosis Permanent --> ensures offspring inherits corrected gene Currently illegal

Question 28

Describe somatic cell gene therapy:

Answer 28

Copies of corrected allele inserted directly in somatic cells of patient Does not prevent next generation from disease Must be repeated many times Short-term effects

Question 29

What are the disadvantages to gene therapy?

Answer 29

Body could identify vector as foreign --> start immune response Allele inserted in wrong section of DNA -> more issues (cancer) Allele = overexpressed --> produce too much missing protein Effects of treatment short-lived Patient may undergo multiple treatments May be difficult to get allele into specific body cell

Question 30

Positives of gene therapy:

Answer 30

Prolong lives for people with life threatening disorders Better quality of life Carriers = conceive children without disorder decrease allele frequency of genetic disorder in population

Question 31

More disadvantages of gene therapy:

Answer 31

Technology used for cosmetic treatments Expensive research + treatments.