Genetic Engineering Essay - 1106 Words

Genetic Engineering GENETIC ENGINEERING Within a short period of time, genetic engineering has turned into one of the biggest growth areas in scientific research .It appears regularly in the media although the general public have no idea the meaning. It is currently one of the most sensitive areas of ethical debate.1 Genetic engineering however is a variety of techniques used to transfer a desirable gene from one organism to another, where it can be expressed. This means that the required product can be synthesised within the new organism. Very often these two organisms are totally unrelated species. The products of genetic engineering are referred to as genetically modified or†¦show more content†¦Genetic material is the same in all cells of the body but differ in which genes are active; hence the products been made differ. The use of mRNA as a means of isolating the gene therefore narrows down this problem. Messenger RNA extracted can be incubated with an enzyme reverse transcriptase which catalyses the conversion of mRNA to DNA. The second stage involves cutting the required gene for recombination. DNA is a very fragile molecule which can easily be fragmented by physical means but this occurs randomly. In this case a particular gene is required; in order to cut out this particular gene from the whole DNA we need precise tools. The enzyme restriction endonuclease acts like a pair of molecular scissors so that the required gene can be spliced out into a carrier molecule. The gene can then be cloned to get many copies of the required length of DNA.1 2 The third stage involves joining up the cut out gene into the carrier molecule (vector). In order for a foreign gene to be incorporated into a cell and to reproduce it must first be combined with a vector molecule. Two types of vectors are commonly used these are bacterial viruses or phages and plasmids. These vectors are capableShow MoreRelatedGenetic Engineering ( Genetic Modification )991 Words   |  4 PagesRevised HOMEWORK 1 (a) Genetic engineering (genetic modification) is a process by which an organism’s genome can be modified using various biotechnology techniques. The process involves manipulating the DNA of an organism or transferring genes into an organism to create a new and improved version. DNA sequences of certain organisms are inserted into different organisms or within the same organism to help us obtain favorable outcomes. Genetic engineering can be used to increase the disease resistanceRead MoreGenetic Engineering And Human Engineering3020 Words   |  13 PagesGenetic engineering is a highly debated topic across the world right now as countries are split for and against genetically altering crops and livestock. The simple definition for genetic engineering according to CSIRO is â€Å"The use of modern biotechnology techniques to change genes of an organism, such as plant or animal.†(CSIRO, 2007) The techniques or steps to genetic engineering are quite technical. The first stage of genetic engineering is to isolate the DNA from the organism. Once the DNA strandRead MoreGenetic Engineering In Our Food.. Genetic Engineering,1514 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic Engineering in Our Food Genetic Engineering, more accurately referred to as â€Å"Bioballistics† a process where a small metal projectile is covered in plasmid DNA is fired at a small petri dish where Germ Cells of another organism awaits. The disruption of the cells delicate state causes destabilization, and the cells stabilize elements from both the fired DNA and the Germ cells merge. 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The release of genetically altered organisms in the environment can increase human suffering, decrease animal welfare, and lead to ecological disasters. The containment of biotechnological material in laboratories and industrial plants contributes to the risk of accidental release, especially if the handling and storage are inadequate. The purely political dangers include intensified economic inequality, the possibilityRead MoreGenetic Engineering : Genetic Modification1518 Words   |  7 Pageswrite my paper about Genetic engineering also known as genetic modification. In a nutshell genetic engineering is the modification of an organism s genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. This topic has been researched for decades but still has quite some time to be fully mastered in all possible circumstan ces. When I think of genetic engineering I think of differentRead MoreThe Genetic Engineering of Human Food1924 Words   |  8 Pages Genetic Engineering refers to the direct manipulation of the genetic information of living beings. The genes, embedded in the DNA, are the blueprints of life which determine particular traits in an organism. With Biotechnology, Genetic Engineers are able to replace these genes from one organism to another, resulting in completely new combinations of traits which do not occur in nature. These Genetically Modified Organisms are artificially enhanced to express desired characteristics that are useful