Genetic Engineering

• Plant crops have been genetically engineered to be resistant to diseases or to produce bigger better fruits
• Bacterial cells have been genetically engineered to produce useful substances such as human insulin to treat diabetes
• In genetic engineering, genes from the chromosomes of humans and other organisms can be ‘cut out’ and transferred to cells of other organisms
• Crops that have had their genes modified in this way are called genetically modified (GM) crops
• GM crops include ones that are resistant to insect attack or to herbicides
• GM crops generally show increased yields
• Concerns about GM crops include the effect on populations of wild flowers and insects
• Some people feel the effects of eating GM crops on human health have not been fully explored
• Modern medical research is exploring the possibility of genetic modification to overcome some inherited disorders
• In genetic engineering:

  • Enzymes are used to isolate the required gene and is inserted into a vector, usually a bacterial plasmid or a virus
  • The vector is used to insert the gene into the required cells
• Genes are transferred to the cells of animals, plants or microorganisms at an early stage in their development so that they develop with desired characteristics
• Genetic Engineering