Genetic engineering HT: Inheritance, variation and evolution: Biology: GCSE (9:1)

• Genetic engineering


  A process which involves modifying the genome of an organism by introducing a gene from another organism to give a desired characteristic

  
• Genetically modified organism (GMO)


  An organism that has had its genetic information or genes manipulated, usually by genetic engineering

  
• Genome

  The entire genetic composition of an organism

  
• Genetic engineering in plants

  Plant crops have been genetically engineered to be resistant to diseases or produce bigger and better fruits

  
• Making insect-resistant plants

  A gene responsible for making a toxin that kills insects is isolated from a ground-dwelling bacterium and is inserted into plants, using vectors

  
• Genetic engineering in bacterial cells

  Bacterial cells have been genetically engineered to produce useful substances such as human insulin to treat diabetes

  
• Making insulin


  A gene responsible for making insulin is isolated from cells of the human pancreas and is inserted via vectors into bacteria that can rapidly reproduce

  
• Use of enzymes in genetic engineering

  Enzymes are used to isolate a required gene from an organism with a desirable characteristic

  
• Use of vectors in genetic engineering

  The isolated required gene is inserted into a vector, which is then used to insert the gene into the required cells

  
• Vectors

  Bacterial plasmids or viruses that can transfer DNA from one organism to another

  
• Bacterial plasmid


  A small ring of extra DNA found in bacterial cells, plasmids are cut open with enzymes and an isolated gene is inserted into them

  
• Virus

  A non-living infectious agent that releases genetic information into a host cell to replicate itself, isolated genes can be inserted into a virus which can copy it into cells

  
• Gene transferal


  Genes are transferred to the cells of animals, plants or microorganisms at an early stage of development so they can develop with desired characteristics
• Embryo


  A developing fertilised egg that is beginning to differentiate, vectors should insert DNA during embryonic development for genetic modification to be successful

  
• Target organism


  The organism that is intended to be genetically modified, following the insertion of an isolated gene that codes for a desirable trait

  
• Gene therapy


  Viral vectors can be used to insert new genes into an organism in order to treat genetic disorders

  
• Tissue culture

  A plant divided into small cultures of cells, can be used for the mass production of genetically modified plant clones