Biology 1.5 - Genetic Engineering

• what is GE?

  The transfer of genetic information from one organism to another of a different species.
• why are bacteria used as 'chemical factories'?

  Because they will produce the protein which the transfer gene codes for.
• what are bacteria hosting foreign genes said to be?

  genetically modified
• How are enzymes used in this process?

  They are used to cut open the bacterial plasmid, seal it and extract the gene from the chromosome.
• What is stage 1 of GE?

  Identify the gene on the correct chromosome
• What is stage 2 of GE?

  Extract this gene using enzymes
• What is stage 3 of GE?

  Open up a plasmid from the bacteria using enzymes
• What is stage 4 of GE?

  Insert the gene into the open plasmid using enzymes
• What is stage 5 of GE?

  Insert the plasmid (with the new gene) into the bacterial host cell