Genetic engineering Flashcards
Genetic screening
Testing of an individual’s DNA for the presence of abnormal genes (that cause genetic disorders)
Uses of genetic screening
- Adults can be screened to see if they are carriers
- In IVF embryos can be screened for genetic disorders before implanting them into the uterus
- Foetuses can be screened by removing cells from the amniotic fluid - prepare parents if child has a disorder
Genetic engineering + Example
The artificial alteration and manipulation of genes an organism has
Example: human insulin from human cells into bacterial cells
Steps in genetic engineering
- Isolation
- cutting and ligation
- Transformation
- Selection and cloning
- Expression
Applications of genetic engineering
Plants: Gene for the resistance of weed killers
Animals: Gene for human clotting factor VIII is transferred humans –> sheep
Used to treat uncontrollable bleeding - haemophilia
Micro-organisms: E-coli to produce human insulin and human growth hormone
What is a carrier in relation to genetic screening
Person who has a recessive gene but does not suffer from the disorder
Vector
A piece of DNA (plasmid) that will carry the gene of interest into a host cell
Isolation
The process of removing DNA from a cell
Cutting and ligation
Cutting is the removal of a gene from a piece of DNA using restriction enzymes
Ligation is the joining of a gene to a vector using DNA ligase
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA is a piece of genetically modified DNA that contains DNA from two or more different species
Transformation
The uptake of recombinant DNA in a bacterial cell
Selection and cloning
Selection is the process of killing any cells that did not take up the recombinant DNA
Cloning is the process of producing identical copies of a cell
Expression
The stimulation of a cell to produce the product of a particular gene
