Section 3 Flashcards
Name an example of a genetically modified organism used in agriculture
BT corn
BT corn
Corn modified to have genes from bacteria BT - Bacillus Thuringiensis
Why does BT do in BT corn
These genes, when expressed produced a natural pesticide harming smaller insects but being non-toxic to humans
What are the advantages of BT corn
- reduces the amount of pesticides required by farmers = decreasing costs = decreases run off contamination in environment
- pesticides do not impact pollinators
Name 3 reproductive technologies
Artificial insemination
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
Artificial pollination
Artificial insemination
- Extraction of sperm
- Insertion into uterus of female
Positive outcomes
- favourable genes passed onto offspring
Negative outcomes
-limits genetic variation
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
- Hormone treatment which stimulates egg production
- Removal of multiple eggs from ovaries
- Fertilisation (egg and sperm)
- Incubation (leading to production of embryo
- Successful - embryo is implanted into the uterus or frozen
Positive outcome
Favourable genes passed onto offspring
Negative outcomes
Expensive
Artificial pollination
- Pollen removed from stamen of one plant
- Applied to stigma of another plant
- Pollen fertilises ovum
Positive outcomes
- selection of desirable traits
- creation of new plant species
Negative outcomes
- loss of biodiversity
Whole organism cloning
- creation of new organisms genetically identical to their parent
- occurs through somatic cell nuclear transfer
Outline the process of whole organism cloning
- Somatic cell is removed from an organism in interest of cloning = it contains genetic material that we want in the offspring
- Unfertilised egg is removed from donor - DNA is removed from this
- Egg and somatic cell are fused
- Cell is cultured so it begins to divide and become an embryo
- Embryo implanted into surrogate mother
- Surrogate gives birth to organisms which is GENETICALLY IDENTICAL to donor
How effective is whole organism cloning
- clone produced is not entirely identical to parent
(If there is a mutation in the somatic cell this is passed onto offspring)
-mitochondria present in cytoplasm of donor egg contains DNA that will be passed onto the clone
Cloned organism will have a different mitochondrial genome from parents
- expensive and time consuming
Gene cloning
-Production of multiple copies of a specific DNA sequence
- assembling recombinant DNA containing gene of interest
-directing this DNA into a host organisms which will replicate the gene
Outline the process of gene cloning
- A target gene is identified
- Plasmids are isolated from bacteria
- Bacterial plasmid and DNA containing target gene treated using restriction enzyme, cuts DNA and creates ‘sticky ends’
- Stick ends of target gene and plasmids come together and recombine using DNA ligaments
- The recombinant plasmid is re inserted into host bacteria
Recombinant DNA
DNA that results from owing a section of DNA from its normal location and inserting it into DNA at another site
How does recombinant DNA occur
Naturally or can be produced using biotechnology
