Genetic Engineering

868 Words2 Pages

Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is the artificial alteration of the genetic code.

It is often described as a very precise method of changing the genetic

makeup of an organism.

Genes are a definite sequence of bases in the DNA chain which together

code for the production of a particular protein. They are sections of

the DNA which control traits of an individual, such as eye colour,

which are different for each person. By natural breeding genes are

passed down to offspring by the parents however, with new technology

scientists are able to identify an individual gene and insert it into

another organism which will then carry the trait of that gene. This

alters the DNA. The extraction of the gene is done by physical and

chemical methods

The process of moving a gene from one molecule to another molecule is

called cloning. In the cloning process a fragment of DNA, containing a

gene is cloned into a vector where it is grown in large quantities and

manipulated in a variety of ways. The most common vectors are

bacterial plasmids but viruses and self-replicating units in

eukaryotic cells are also employed as vectors.

To carry out genetic engineering the source DNA and vector DNA need to

be isolated, and they must be free of any contamination as they may

interfere with the remaining processes, the DNA’s are cut using

restriction enzymes. The vector and source DNA are mixed together

using a ligase system and are covalently bonded together. The ligand

DNA is now ready to be transformed into a host cell.

If for example, the nutritional quality of rice was being improved by

adding to it a gene that increases its lysine content, lysine is an

amino acid which is in short supply in most plants. Then firstly DNA

from a high-lysine plant is extracted, one with a gene that enhances

lysine production from a plant such as a daffodil which is a lysine

rich plant. Then using the enzymes that cut DNA, the high-lysine gene

is removed from the rest of the daffodil DNA and is inserted into the

Experimental Design : Identifying An Unknown Insert
2195 Words | 5 Pages
...et light. If the LAA plate glows green under exposure to ultraviolet light, then we can conclude that our unknown insert piece of DNA would be the kan gene. If it does not glow green under exposure to ultraviolet light, then then we streak the colony from our LAA plate onto the LAC plate using a sterile glass spreader. When the LAC plate is dray, we place it upside down in the microfuge rack so that it can be incubated at 37 ºC. Incubation at 37 ºC will allow the transformed bacterial cells to grow. If we see bacterial growth on the LA plate containing chloramphenicol, we can conclude that our unknown insert piece of DNA would be the cat gene, since the cat gene is resistant to chloramphenicol. Afterwards, we then grab the microfuge tube labeled NP and repeat the aforementioned steps shown above pertaining to the LA plates. This would be considered our control.
Read More
Ethics of Human Gene Therapy
2330 Words | 5 Pages
Although the highly technical aspects of human gene therapy are somewhat complex, the basic concept is very straight forward. The goal of gene therapy is to correct mistakes that have occurred within the genetic material, or DNA, of the living cell. In very simple terms, DNA is often thought of as the "language" of the biological functioning of organisms. This language is organized by letters (nucleotide pairs), words (codons), sentences (genes), and books (genomes). Before being able to repair the damaged or defective genetic material, the location of the gene or genes causing the dysfunction in the individual must be determined.
Read More
The Progression of Genetic Engineering and Cloning
598 Words | 2 Pages
Genetic Engineering is deleting or adding different types for DNA that have different characteristics, and then adding them to a embryo to produce a specific organism. Cloning is where you move cells from the original embryo and place them into another one to produce the same organism. Genetech was the first company to first start experimenting with this new science in 1981. Gregor Mendel was the first scientist to discover this new science he called Genetics. At the time this company was valued at $200 million. Research for this t...
Read More
Genetic Engineering Essay
909 Words | 2 Pages
Modern techniques , rather than the gene map , maps the map of the DNA within the gene itself : the positions of short sequences " marker " are used as markers signaling over the cromosssomas . Once a gene is discovered, it is necessary to unravel its base sequence prior to its function being studied . The sequencing has become easier with the development of methods for cloning the DNA - producing large amounts of identical fragments. In the method most widely used DNA sequencing , the chain is denatured into single strands . These are then used as templates for DNA synthesis , but such that replication to as the double helix reaches a certain growth in the mold base . In addition to provide DNA polymerase and the four bases, A - G -C- T, also using small amounts of these dideoxynucleotide bases. This is incorporated , as the normal bases, the double helix growth but prevent the continuation of the chain. The fragments are then separated by gel electrophoresis and the base seq...
Read More
Genetic Engineering: Brave New World
1021 Words | 3 Pages
Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of genetic engineering impacts the world, how genetic engineering works, how people opinions are influenced, how the side effects can be devastating, how the genetic engineering can be beneficial for the society and also how the ethical issues affect people’s perspective.
Read More
Frankenstein Persuasive Essay
718 Words | 2 Pages
The gene-altered organisms that are created pass these genetic changes onto their offspring through heredity. Gene engineers all over the world are now snipping, inserting, recombining, rearranging, editing, and programming genetic material. Just like in the novel Frankenstein, how Victor uses a live human from body parts scrounged from graveyards and slaughterhouse.
Read More
Exploring Genetic Engineering: A Modern Breakthrough
1085 Words | 3 Pages
Modern technology has taken amazing strides in the past few years. We have changed the way we deal with food production, agriculture, and many other aspects of life.. Scientists have begun utilizing these advances in technology and knowledge to gain insight as to how the human species functions. They are on the verge of manipulating the way humans relate to the natural world. This revolutionary breakthrough is what is known as Genetic Engineering. Genetic Engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA molecules into an already existing organism. A simplified version of the process works by physically removing a gene from one organism and placing it into another. This is being done in an effort to
Read More
Genetic Engineering
1882 Words | 4 Pages
Genes are, basically, the blueprints of our body which are passed down from generation to generation. Through the exploration of these inherited materials, scientists have ventured into the recent, and rather controversial, field of genetic engineering. It is described as the "artificial modification of the genetic code of a living organism", and involves the "manipulation and alteration of inborn characteristics" by humans (Lanza). Like many other issues, genetic engineering has sparked a heated debate. Some people believe that it has the potential to become the new "miracle tool" of medicine. To others, this new technology borders on the realm of immorality, and is an omen of the danger to come, and are firmly convinced that this human intervention into nature is unethical, and will bring about the destruction of mankind (Lanza).
Read More
Human Genetic Engineering: The Future Of Human Engineering
1315 Words | 3 Pages
Human gene-splicing is the alteration of genetic material, as science is rising to create the planet to be a “better” place. Technological advancements have allowed us to clone several animals however, it’s time to take the next step. The next step is human engineering, scientist always find the way to succeed. Scientists are ready to create the accurate humans, stronger, faster, smarter, with no defect. With science moving quicker than ethical understanding, values, morals, and our humanity are thrown at the table, not knowing if we are going to be torn apart our live peacefully in a successful world. First of all, the most goal of human engineering is to be ready to wipe out the planet of every kind of diseases. As long as the world is able to accept in mind, humans are full of several diseases that have an effect on our mind and bodies. That’s when human engineering comes into play, having the ability to stop diseases like CF, TaySachs, and Huntington's to heart condition, diabetes, and cancer from ever happening. Genetic involvement is seen as some way to assist those World Health Organization are in want. Bringing that person back to traditional state of being so that they don’t need to put up the issues that accompany being sick. No pills will need to be taken, not a lot of going into treatments, or any kind of surgery since nobody within the world can have an illness or any reasonably limitation to their health. Scientists can invariably wish to seek out some way to try and do things higher to “fix” things.
Read More
Methods and Effects of Prenatal Genetic Testing
2994 Words | 6 Pages
Watson, J. D., Gilman, M., Witkowski, J., Zoller, M. (1992). Recombinant DNA. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
Read More
Genetic Engineering Good Or Bad Essay
1661 Words | 4 Pages
Genetic engineering, sometimes called genetic modification, is the process to alter the structure and nature of genes in humans, plants, and animals (what is genetic engineering). Because DNA is a code that is universal, genes can be manipulated
Read More
Genetic Engineering In The Amazing Spider Man
2653 Words | 6 Pages
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
Read More
Human Genetic Engineering
984 Words | 2 Pages
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. The benefits of human genetic engineering outweigh the risks by providing mankind with cures to multiple deadly diseases.
Read More
The Use of Recombinant DNA Technology
840 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering
633 Words | 2 Pages
To start with , genetic engineering is another term used for genetic manipulation which is a process consisting the addition of new DNA to an organism. The whole purpose of this process is to add new traits that are not already available in the organism. Genetic engineering is often mistaken with breeding which is technique that is mostly used with animals in order to create faster or stronger offspring. Genetic engineering is however different from breeding because it uses much less natural techniques that are usually performed in the lab. The big difference though in terms of genetics , is that genetic engineering allows gene modification that are not close to a certain species. For example , we can mix the DNA of a vegetable with the DNA of an animal in manipulation which is impossible by breeding. The basic idea of genetic manipulation is to isolate a certain cell’s DNA and to mix it with the DNA victor to create a whole new cell with new characteristics. The problem though behind all that, is that its really hard to predict what the results are going to be.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Genetic Engineering

Experimental Design : Identifying An Unknown Insert

Ethics of Human Gene Therapy

The Progression of Genetic Engineering and Cloning