Genetic Engineering Flashcards
List the different types of cloning:
- DNA cloning
- Therapeutic cloning
- Reproductive cloning
What is cloning?
- When a genetically identical replica of a cell, molecule or entire organism is created.
What is step 1 in therapeutic cloning?
- a somatic cell nucleus is removed and transferred into a enucleated donor egg (a cell with its nucleus removed)
What is reproductive cloning?
- reproductive cloning is to produce an animal with the same DNA as another animal
What are the two types of reproductive cloning?
- Embryonic Splitting -> mechanically producing identical twins
- Embryonic nuclear transfer -> cells extracted from young embryos.
What are the pros of Cloning?
- it can help prevent extinction of a species
- increase food production
- treat injuries or develop new organs (therapeutic cloning)
- synthesis of medication (DNA cloning)
What are the cons of cloning?
- regarded as unethical, the probability of abuse is high.
- the process is not entirely safe and accurate.
- the offspring lack genetic uniqueness -> has implications for natural selection.
Why is gene modification done?
- it is done to replace faulty or missing genes that cause disorders/diseases and ensures that correct protein is synthesised.
What is gene engineering?
- gene engineering aka gene modification is the direct manipulation of the gene in an organism -> to obtain a desired characteristic.
What is a vector?
- vectors are living organisms that transmit diseases between individuals.
Define Aneuploidy
- a numerical change in part of a chromosomes set
Define polyploidy:
- a numerical change in the whole chromosome set.
What is a GMO?
GMO -> genetically modified organism
- an organism that had its genetic info modified.
e.g: deletion of a gene
What is a transgenic organism.
- a transgenic organism is an organism that received a gene from another organism.
What is recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA -> a new DNA sequence that has formed as a result of genetic engineering.
How do you obtain a desired characteristic during genetic modification?
- a relevant gene from a cell in one organism is transmitted to a cell in another organism.
What are the steps in gene Modification?
- identify relevant gene
- extract gene by using restriction and ligase enzymes.
- vectors transfer a gene into a host cell
- it becomes integrated into the organisms genome
- the correct protein is synthesised and that desired trait is expressed in the phenotype.
Genetic Engineering in medicine refers to…
Genetic engineering in medicine refers to the production of artificial hormones.
e.g: insulin
Genetic engineering and GMO‘s play a role in:
- synthesis of medical drugs
- production of new crops
- cloning
- stem cell research
Type 1 diabetes can be treated with…
Type 1 diabetes can be treated with daily insulin injections.
What is diabetes?
- a disease where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or when the body becomes resistant to insulin.
What is the importance of insulin?
- insulin regulates the concentration of glucose in the blood.
Why is insulin no longer extracted from animals?
- small quantities can only be extracted from a slaughtered pig/cow at a great cost.
- animal insulin is not as effective at controlling blood sugar levels as human insulin is.
How is human insulin produced synthetically?
- DNA with gene code for production of insulin is extracted from healthy human pancreas
- restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA segments to isolate the specific gene.
What is E.Coli?
E.Coli -> Escherichia coli is the bacterium found in the human intestine that is used to produce insulin.
List human stem cell applications (6)
- cardiovascular cells
- liver cells
- muscle cells
- intestinal cells
- blood cells
- nerve cells
How are spinal chord injuries treated?
- Treated with bone marrow containing stem cells which is injected into cerebrospinal fluid in spine.
- stem cells will divide to form more stem cells and differential cells
List obstacles in Stem Cell research:
- ethicality of using embryonic stem cells
- stem cells could develop skin/ bone in brain
- more than one type of tissue must be replaced
Muscle cells are __ __ __ __ to form meat = __ __ __ __
Muscle cells are grown in tissue culture to form meat -> future source of protein.
Humans deliberately __ __ to form __
Humans deliver manipulate chromosomes to form hybrids (in plants)
Farmers make use of….. -> and why?
- Farmers make use of artificial selection to control reproduction.
- this is to ensure the next generation has the most desirable traits
How are GM crops Produced?
- genes for desired traits are identified.
- genes are artificially inserted by using a gene gun or vectors.
Advantages of polyploidic plants?
- larger flowers
- larger storage organs
- larger seeds
- seedless fruit
- larger fruit
Advantages of GMO‘s:
- cheaper -> pesticide resistant
- resistant to herbicides
- survive in unfavourable conditions
- larger better yields and stronger crops
- improved crops (quality and quantity)
- production of medicines using bacteria is more ethically acceptable.
Disadvantage of GMO‘s
- ethical issues
- decreases biodiversity
- negative effects on human -> allergies
- undesirable effect
- stronger chemicals need to be used to dispose of crops that are toxic to humans
- cost of biotechnology equipment is expensive.
- prices of GM seeds are more
What is step 2 in therapeutic cloning?
- the egg is stimulated and starts to divide.
What is step 3 in therapeutic cloning?
- when it reaches blastocyst phase it is made up of embryonic stem cells which can be harvested.
(IT DOES NOT DEVELOP INTO A FOETUS)
