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10 application of recombinant DNA technology
10 application of recombinant DNA technology
10 application of recombinant DNA technology
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The Use of Recombinant DNA Technology
Recombinant DNA technology is the technology of preparing recombinant
DNA in vitro by cutting up DNA molecules and splicing together
fragments from more than one organism.(1) This is the process of using
recombinant DNA technology to enable the rapid production of human
protein from a single gene of insulin. Firstly the single gene
required must be isolated. This can be done three ways: Either by
working backwards from the protein- Finding the amino acid sequence
for the protein needed, the order of bases can be established using
known genetic code. New DNA can be made from this sequence of bases
resulting in artificial gene made from complementary DNA. By using
Messenger RNA- mRNA molecules carrying the code for insulin are common
in the cytoplasm of insulin. Or using DNA probes to find the gene
required-A probe is a short single strand of DNA carrying the known
genetic code we are looking for. So the location of the DNA probe is
known, it is labelled with a radioactive fluorescent marker. The aim
is for the probe to attach to its complementary base sequence within
DNA extracted from human cells.
Secondly the gene has to be cut from its DNA chain. Controlling this
process are many restriction endonucleases (restriction enzymes). Each
of these enzymes cut DNA at a different base sequence called a
recognition sequence. The recognition sequence is 6 base pairs long.
The restriction enzymes PstI cuts DNA horizontally and vertically to
produce sticky ends. The restriction enzymes SmaI cuts DNA vertically.
This results in two DNA fragments with blunt ends.
Next, the gene is spliced into a vect...
... middle of paper ...
...le by
stopping illness but this process has also been vandalised for many
uses which are not necessary. For example it could be used to give
individuals characteristics that are considered to be desirable. This
reminds some people of some of the programmes that have been used
throughout modern history to eradicate less powerful ethnic groups.
Also this treatment may stop genetic disorders but this could lead to
everybody being cured of illness. Therefore if people don’t die of the
genetic disorders the world would become over populated.
1. http://www.wordreference.com/definition/recombinant%5FDNA%5Ftechnology
2. http://www.follistim.com/Consumer/FollistimCartridgeBasics/RecombinantDNATechnology/index.asp?SetSession=Yes&strGUID={CE62B961-B16A-466A-8A45-5B0B166BB24D}&SID=294222698
3. AQA Biology by Martin Rowland
The plasmids in lanes 3,4,8 and 9 have been digested using one restriction enzyme and had been cut at one restriction site, resulting in a linear molecule. Comparing lanes 3 and 4 to
Recombinant DNA technology: Sub cloning of cDNA molecule CIH-1 into plasmid vector pUC19, transformation of XLI-Blue Ecoli & restriction mapping.
...e the quality of life of children. A big consequence to the use of genetic modification, shown in the movie Gattaca, is the prejudice that can be against those without genetic modifications. To create an idea of what the consequences of genetic modification will look like, a real world example would be racism and the use of eugenics to justify the prejudice against those who were not light-skinned or of caucasian descent. Neo eugenics is a very controversial topic that has a lot of possible benefits and consequences and will affect many generations to come.
In the past 40 years, scientists have developed and applied genetic engineering to alter the genetic make-up of organisms by manipulating their DNA. Scientists can use restriction enzymes to slice up a piece of DNA from an organism with the characteristics they want and spliced (joint) to a DNA from another organism. DNA that contains pieces from different species is called recombinant DNA, and it now has different genetic material from its original. When this DNA inserted back into the organism, it changes the organism’s trait. This technique is known as gene-splicing (Farndon 19).
Shortly after the groundbreaking discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, the scientific world was essentially given the ability to alter the genetic sequence of any living organism using a process known as 'genetic engineering'. By definition, genetic engineering is 'the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material', it is quite simply an unnatural process which defies the ordinary course of nature. As of yet, no devastating or permanent damage has been done. However, the unpredictable nature and unknown consequences genetic engineering holds is more than enough reason to be cautious, as one mistake could have irreversible and catastrophic effects.
Although humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years through artificial selection and other non-scientific means, the field of genetic engineering as we now know it did not begin until 1944 when DNA was first identified as the carrier of genetic information by Oswald Avery Colin McLeod and Maclyn McCarty (Stem Cell Research). In the following decades two more important discoveries occurred, first the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, by Watson and Crick, and next the 1973 discovery by Cohen and Boyer of a recombinant DNA technique which allowed the successful transfer of DNA into another organism. A year later Rudolf Jaenisch created the world’s first transgenic animal by introducing foreign DNA into a mouse embryo, an experiment that would set the stage for modern genetic engineering (Stem Cell Research). The commercialization of genetic engineering began largely in 1976 wh...
Watson, J. D., Gilman, M., Witkowski, J., Zoller, M. (1992). Recombinant DNA. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
One of the most necessary uses of genetic engineering is tackling diseases. As listed above, some of the deadliest diseases in the world that have yet to be conquered could ultimately be wiped out by the use of genetic engineering. Because there are a great deal of genetic mutations people suffer from it is impractical that we will ever be able to get rid of them unless we involve genetic engineering in future generations (pros and cons of genetic eng). The negative aspect to this is the possible chain reaction that can occur from gene alteration. While altering a gene to do one thing, like cure a disease, there is no way of knowing if a different reaction will occur at the cellular or genetic level because of it; causing another problem, possibly worse than the disease they started off with (5 pros and cons of gen. eng.). This technology has such a wide range of unknown, it is simply not safe for society to be condoning to. As well as safety concerns, this can also cause emotional trauma to people putting their hopes into genetic engineering curing their loved ones, when there is a possibility it could result in more damage in the
Genetic engineering for humans would eventually destroy the human natural selection theory, that everyone brought into this world was untouched and born to be who ever they were suppose to be. But with genetic engineering, scientists would be able to change unborn children to make them for acceptable to the human world.
The birth of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA began in Stanford University, in the year 1970 (Hein). Biochemistry and medicine researchers were pursuing separate research pathways, yet these pathways converged to form what is now known as biotechnology (Hein). The biochemistry department was, at the time, focusing on an animal virus, and found a method of slicing DNA so cleanly that it would reform and go on to infect other cells. (Hein) The medical department focused on bacteria and developed a microscopic molecular messenger, that could not only carry a foreign “blueprint”, or message, but could also get the bacteria to read and copy the information. (Hein) One concept is needed to understand what happened at Stanford: how a bacterial “factory” turns “on” or “off”. (Hein) When a cell is dividing or producing a protein, it uses promoters (“on switches”) to start the process and terminators (“off switches”) to stop the process. (Hein) To form proteins, promoters and terminators are used to tell where the protein begins and where it ends. (Hein) In 1972 Herbert Boyer, a biochemist, provided Stanford with a bacterial enzyme called Eco R1. (Hein) This enzyme is used by bacteria to defend themselves against bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses. (Hein) The biochemistry department used this enzyme as a “molecular scalpel”, to cut a monkey virus called SV40. (Hein) What the Stanford researchers observed was that, when they did this, the virus reformed at the cleaved site in a circular manner. It later went on to infect other cells as if nothing had happened. (Hein) This proved that EcoR1 could cut the bonding sites on two different DNA strands, which could be combined using the “sticky ends” at the sites. (Hein). The contribution towards genetic engineering from the biochemistry department was the observations of EcoR1’s cleavage of
Human genetic engineering can provide humanity with the capability to construct “designer babies” as well as cure multiple hereditary diseases. This can be accomplished by changing a human’s genotype to produce a desired phenotype. The outcome could cure both birth defects and hereditary diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Human genetic engineering can also allow mankind to permanently remove a mutated gene through embryo screening, as well as allow parents to choose the desired traits for their children. Negative outcomes of this technology may include the transmission of harmful diseases and the production of genetic mutations.
Gene therapy gives patients who born with diseases that are incurable to traditional medicine a permanent cure. If patients received germ-line therapy, which involves replacing disordered genes in sperms or eggs, their offspring would also have correct gene orders. The positive effect would influence the whole family.
Eugenics has a few positive advantages, it will in a period of about fifty years or can start to limit and reduce mental and physical disabilities and can increase a better standard of intelligence caused by the food we eat and healthcare over many and many generations one after the other. It will increase desirable traits such as us humans living longer and having better memory skills. Eugenics can help us get a very intelligent race of humans by breading the best with the best to get the best genetics. This can make us more powerful, better at sport, technology and many other things.
This alone can be beneficial and an advantage of eugenics. Parents can see the likelihood of their future children being born with a disorder and look into different options. They would be prepared to meet their child’s medical needs if they do want to conceive. Genetic modification can also allow parents to choose the sex of their child, this isn’t as beneficial but can be useful in countries like China where the number of offspring is limited. As well as gender, genetic modification can allow certain traits such as mental disorders to be
The scientific and medical progress of DNA as been emense, from involving the identification of our genes that trigger major diseases or the creation and manufacture of drugs to treat these diseases. DNA has many significant uses to society, health and culture of today. One important area of DNA research is that used for genetic and medical research. Our abi...