Biology

• Genetic Engineering


  The simple addition, deletion, or manipulation of a single trait in an organism to create a desired change
• What you need to know about Genetic Engineering


  • Manipulation and alteration of genes
  • Three applications: one plant, one animal, one micro-organism
  • Process involving isolation, transformation, and expression
• Genetic Engineering


  Artificially copying a piece of DNA from one organism and joining this copy of DNA into the DNA of another organism
• Examples of Genetic Engineering

  • Human genes can be inserted into a bacterium
  • Human genes can be inserted into cells from other animals
  • Bacterium genes can be inserted into plant cells
• Genetic engineering means that DNA from different organisms can be combined
• Bacteria can be engineered to produce human proteins
• Human genes can be inserted into other animals
• Recombinant DNA


  The altered DNA that is joined to other unrelated DNA in the organism
• Gene splicing

  Tiny segments of a gene are taken out and replaced by different genes
• Stages involved in Genetic Engineering

  1. Isolation

  2. Cutting

  3. Ligation and Insertion

  4. Transformation

  5. Expression
• Donor DNA


  Genetic material from the organism that the desired gene is taken from
• Isolation


  Cells are broken open and a genetic probe is used to reveal the position of the gene of interest
• Cutting


  Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors and cut DNA at specific restriction sites
• Ligation and Insertion


  DNA ligase bonds the sticky ends of the cut DNA fragments together to form recombinant DNA
• Transformation


  The recombinant DNA is introduced into a bacterial cell
• Expression


  The bacterial cell reproduces and produces the polypeptide coded for by the donor DNA
• Transgenic organisms


  Organisms altered by genetic engineering, where genetic material is changed by other than random natural breeding
• Transgenesis


  The process of moving a gene from one organism to another
• Examples of transgenic organisms


  • Plants that resist a particular type of weed killer
  • Sheep which makes a special substance in its milk
• Pharming


  The use of genetically modified animals to produce human proteins with medicinal value, which are secreted into the animal's milk, eggs or blood and then collected and purified
• Xenotransplantation


  The transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another
• Gene Therapy


  Modifying human DNA either to repair it or to replace a faulty gene, to overcome the effects of a mutation which causes a genetic disease
• Ecology


  The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer
• Environment


  • Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth
  • Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)
• Levels of Organization in Ecology

  • Organism
  • Species
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosystem
  • Biome
  • Biosphere
• Species


  Group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring
• Species


  • elephant
• Population


  Groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
• Ecology


  The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer
• Environment


  • Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth
  • Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)
• Levels of Organization in Ecology

  • Organism
  • Species
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosystem
  • Biome
  • Biosphere
• Population


  • herd of elephants
• Species


  Group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring
• Species


  • elephant
• Population


  Groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
• Population


  • herd of elephants
• Community


  Assemblages of different populations that live together in a defined area
• Community


  • elephants, zebras, water buffalos, warthogs, hippos
• Ecosystem


  Collection of all living and nonliving things in a determined place
• Ecosystem


  • mud hole, grass, warm temperature, elephants, zebras, giraffes, insects, sun