genetic engineering

• Genetic engineering involves transferring a desirable gene from one organism to another to modify the organism's genome
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be created by transferring genes between organisms of the same or different species
• Examples of genetic engineering include:

  • Sheep producing drugs in their milk
  • Bacteria producing human insulin
  • Crops with improved characteristics like size, quality, and resistance to diseases and herbicides
• Gene therapy is a potential application of genetic engineering to treat inherited disorders by introducing a healthy gene into a person's cells
• Challenges of gene therapy include the difficulty of transferring the new gene into every cell in the body
• Pros of genetically modified crops:

  • Increased food production
  • Ability to produce special nutrients like beta-carotene in golden rice
• Cons of genetically modified crops:

  • Uncertainty about the long-term effects on human health
  • Possibility of GM plants escaping into the wild and disrupting ecosystems
• Process of transferring genes:

  • Find the desired gene and isolate it using enzymes
  • Insert the gene into a vector (virus or bacterial plasmid)
  • Introduce the vector to the target organism for gene expression