Genes and Genetic Engineering Flashcards
What do chromosomes carry?
Genes
What do genes do?
Control the development of different characteristics (e.g hair colour)
What is a gene?
A short length of a chromosome, or a long length of DNA
How is DNA ‘packed’?
In tight coils, forming the arms of the chromosomes
A what are alleles?
Different versions of the same gene
What is the process of genetic engineering?
- A useful gene is cut from an organism’s chromosome using enzymes
- Enzymes are then used to cut the chromosome of another organism so that the useful gene can be inserted
What are enzymes?
Natural catalysts
How has insulin production been aided by genetic engineering?
The human insulin gene has been inserted into bacteria
Why might crops be genetically modified?
To make them resistant to:
Viruses
Insects
Herbicides
What is gene therapy?
The insertion of working genes into people who suffer from genetic disorders (e.g cystic fibrosis)
What are the disadvantages of GM crops?
It may reduce farmland biodiversity by decreasing the weeds, flowers and insects that thrive around the crops
People are concerned that modified genes may be passed to organisms which should not receive them (i.e superweeds)
What are the advantages of GM crops?
The yield of a crop can be increased
People in developing nations can produce essential nutrients on a larger scale
There do not seem to be problems with GM crops in the countries that they are already grown in
What does the nucleus contain?
Genetic material in the form of chromosomes (23 pairs)
