Genetic manipulation

• Tissue culture is using small groups of cells from part of a plant
• Cuttings are an older, but simple, method used by gardeners to produce many identical new plants from a parent plant
• Embryo transplants is splitting apart cells from a developing animal embryo before they become specialised, then transplanting the identical embryos into host mothers
• ADULT CELL CLONING

  • The nucleus is removed from an unfertilised egg cell and the nucleus from an adult body cell, eg a skin cell, is inserted into the egg cell
  • An electric shock then acts as the catalyst for the egg cell to begin to divide to form embryo cells. These embryo cells contain the same genetic information as the adult skin cell
  • When the embryo has developed into a ball of cells, it is inserted into the womb of an adult female to continue its development
• GENETIC ENGINEERING

  • Enzymes are used to isolate the required gene
  • This gene 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 can also be transferred to the cells of animals, plants or microorganisms at an early stage in their development so that they develop with desired characteristics
• GM crops

  1. Higher yield
  2. Increased nutrients
  3. Herbicide and pesticide resistant
  4. Drought and flood resistant
• Concerns about GM crops include the effect on populations of wild flowers and insects, and uncertainty about the effects of eating GM crops on human health