General Biology

• Two types of Genetic Engineering:

  Classical Breeding

  Recombinant DNA Technology
• Classical Breeding - involves mating two members of a species
• Genetic Engineering - involves the use of molecular techniques to modify the traits of a target organism
• Recombinant DNA Technology - The joining together of DNA molecules from different organisms and inserting into a host organism to produce new genetic combination that are of value to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry
• Recombinant DNA Technology - the technology used for producing artificial DNA through the combination of different genetic materials (DNA) from different sources
• Gene - the basic physical and functional unit of heredity
• Gene - carries instructions that determine your features, such as eye color, hair color, height, and other biological traits
• Tools for Recombinant DNA Technology:

  1. Restriction Enzyme
  2. Ligase Enzyme
  3. Vectors
  4. Host Organism
  5. Foreign Gene
  6. Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Restriction Enzyme - these enzymes serves as a molecular scissors to cut DNA into defined fragments
• Restriction Endonucleases - a type of restriction enzyme used to isolate gene of interest and to create sticky ends in plasmid vectors
• Ligase Enzyme - joints two DNA strands by forming phosphodiester
• Ligase Enzyme - It is known as molecular glue.
• Vectors - help in carrying and integrating the desired gene
• Host Organism - the organism into which the recombinant DNA is introduced
• Foreign Gene - foreign piece of DNA structure in to the genome which contains our gene of interest
• Polymerase Chain Reaction - is a laboratory technique for rapidly producing (amplifying) millions to billions of copies of a specific segment of DNA
• Process of Recombinant DNA Technology:

  1. Cutting or cleaving of DNA plasmid
  2. Inserting of gene of interest into the open plasmid
  3. Insert the recombinant DNA into host
  4. Isolation of gene copies and insertion to other organisms to confer the desired gene
  5. Selection
  6. Expression
• Gene Therapy - is a medical technology that aims to produce a therapeutic effect through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells
• DNA Cloning - a molecular biology technique that makes many identical copies of a piece of DNA, such as gene
• Genetic Disorders - are due to abnormalities in the genome of an organism
• Types of Genetic Disorders:

  1. Medelian Disorder
  2. Chromosomal Disorder
  3. Multifactorial Genetic Inheritance
  4. Mitochondrial Inheritance
• Medelian Disorder - due to mutations in a single gene and can be easily detected by pedigree analysis
• Chromosomal Disorder - cause by any alteration in the number of structure of the chromosomes
• Multifactorial Genetic Inheritance - also known as polygenic inheritance. These are caused as a result of environmental factors and gene mutations
• Mitochondrial Inheritance - caused by mutations in the non-nuclear mitochondrial DNA
• Genetic Counselling - one of the remarkable ways of detecting whether a child to be born will be having a genetic disease or if the person is going to have a genetic disorder
• 4 Functions of Plasmis DNA:

  1. Genetic Variation
  2. Conjugation
  3. Genetic Engineering
  4. Survival Advantagement
• Genetic Variation - plasmids can carry additional genes that provide selective advantages to the host organism
• Conjugation - plasmids can facilitate the transfer of genetic material between bacteria through a process called "conjugation"
• Genetic Engineering - In laboratories, scientists use plasmids as vectors to introduce and replicate specific genes in bacteria
• Genetic Engineering - In laboratories, scientists use plasmids as vectors to introduce and replicate specific genes in bacteria
• Survival Advantagement - plasmids can provide a survival advantage to bacteria under certain conditions
• Plasmid as tools:

  1. In Vivo Gene Therapy
  2. Ex Vivo Gene Therapy
  3. DNA Vaccines
  4. MRNA Production
• In Vivo Gene Therapy - using adeno-associated virus (AAV) involves introducing therapeutic genes directly into a living organism, aiming to treat or prevent genetic disorders
• Ex Vivo Gene Therapy - involving lentiviruses is a technique that involves modifying a patient's cells outside the body
• DNA Vaccines - protect an organism against disease by injecting it with genetically engineered DNA produce an immunological response
• 2 Pathways of DNA Vaccines:

  1. Endogenous
  2. Exogenous
• Endogenous - antigenic protein is presented by cell in which is it produced
• Exogenous - antigenic protein is formed in one cell but presented by different cell
• Exogenous - antigenic protein is formed in one cell but presented by different cell