Transgenic Organism + Genetic Engineering

Question 1

what does genetic engineering involve?

Answer 1

transferring genes from one organism to another - often to a totally unrelated species

Question 2

what are transgenic organisms?

Answer 2

organisms which have recieved genes from another species

Question 3

what are vectors used for?

Answer 3

to carry the DNA of one organism into another

Question 4

what are examples of vectors being used?

Answer 4

• a vector that has been used to introduce foreign DNA into bacterial cells is the bacteriophage (a type of virus) - the bacteriophage attacks a bacterium by injecting its own DNA into the bacterial cell. this DNA becomes incorporated into the DNA of the host cell and eventually causes the production of many virus particles
• another example involves cutting genes from human chromosomes and inserting them into the plasmid of a bacterium

Question 5

what is the cause of type 1 diabetes?

Answer 5

people’s pancreas not producing enough insulin

Question 6

how did scientists genetically engineer bacteria to produce human insulin?

Answer 6

1. the human insulin gene must be located on the chromosome
2. the gene is then cut from the rest of the chromosome using a special enzyme called a DNA restriction enzyme
3. a plasmid is removed from the bacterium (E.coli) and cut open with the same DNA restriction enzyme
4. each DNA restriction enzyme cuts at a specific sequence of bases, producing short single stranded sections called sticky ends
5. the human insulin gene and plasmid join together due to complementary base pairing at the sticky ends - a DNA ligase enzyme forms bonds between the nucleotides to make this a single piece of DNA. we say the plasmid is now recombinant DNA - it is a combination from two different sources

Question 7

what is a vector?

Answer 7

the plasmid carrying the human DNA