Genetic Engineering Flashcards
What is Genetic Engineering?
DescriptionGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes using biotechnology. An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be genetically modified and the resulting entity is a genetically modified organism.
What are the basic steps in Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering is accomplished in three basic steps. These are (1) The isolation of DNA fragments from a donor organism; (2) The insertion of an isolated donor DNA fragment into a vector genome and (3) The growth of a recombinant vector in an appropriate host.
Examples of how different plants/crops have been genetically modified
Examples of GM crops include corn varieties containing a gene for a bacterial pesticide that kills larval pests, and soybeans with an inserted gene that renders them resistant to weed-killers such as Roundup. In 2010, more than 80 percent of U.S. corn, soybeans, cotton, and sugar beets were GM varieties.
Advantages of Genetic Engineering
Genetically modified (GM) crops have many potential advantages in terms of raising agricultural productivity and reducing the need for (environmentally harmful) pesticides. They might also pose hazards to human health, from toxicity and increased risk of allergies, for example.
Concerns of Genetic Engineering
the risks and benefits of the experimental use of animals; the risk of creating new diseases—for which there is no treatment—by combining animal DNA or human DNA with plant DNA; the potential long-term risks to the environment; the potential for increased suffering of transgenic organisms.
