Gene Therapy & Cloning Flashcards
What can gene therapy be used for?
Curing genetic disorders by changing the person’s gene
What are the 2 types of gene therapy?
- changing genes in body cells
- changing gene in gametes
Explain why people do gene therapy on their body cells?
When suffering from a disorder
Gene therapy will occur in the most affected cells
Does not change the individual’s gametes though (offspring could still inherit the disorder)
How can gene therapy be treated by cystic fibrosis (lung disorder)?
Gene therapy would be focused on what causes the problem
(which would be the cells lining the lungs where the mutation causes the lungs to become clogged and sticky by mucus)
Then replace the faulty gene with a working one
Why do people do gene therapy on gametes?
When suffering from a disorder and do not want the offspring to have it
Illegal
Why is green therapy on gametes controversial? (Public disagreement)
Might have unexpected consequences/results
If problem occurred, it would be inherited by offspring which could lead to a whole future generation
Could leaf to “designer babies” where parents are able to choose the genes they want their babies to have (not natural)
What is cloning?
Making an exact copy of another organism
What are clones?
Genetically identical organisms
What is nuclear transfer?
Placing a nucleus of a body cell into an egg cell
How does nuclear transfer work in a mammal?
- Nucleus from egg is removed (so the cell has no genetic information)
- A diploid nucleus (a nucleus that has 2 copies of each chromosome from their parent) from the body cell is removed and placed into the egg cell and egg cell has all the information of a new cell now
- Cell is given an electric shock and starts dividing by mitosis
- The dividing cell (now an embryo) is implanted into the uterus of a mother
- The organism is born
