Genetic Engineering

Cards (20)

  • Genetic Engineering transfers genes between organisms.
  • The basic idea of genetic engineering is to transfer a gene from the genome of one organism to the genome of another. This gives the organism that receives the gene new and useful characteristics. 
  • Test ver:
    • Genetic engineering is modifying the genome/DNA/genetic material of an organism to introduce a new and desirable characteristic.
  • GENETIC MODIFICATION
    Genetic modification involves taking a gene from one species and inserting it into individuals or another species, these individuals will now express a new characteristic as a result of their modified DNA.
  • Modified bacteria cells that can make insulin protein that is useful like human insulin
    Inside all your cells like the cells of all living organisms is DNA.
    DNA - contains the instructions from a whole range of features that make up an organism. 
    • Each segment of DNA that has each individual set of instructions is called a Gene
    • There’s a gene that gives instructions to specific cells in the pancreas to produce insulin.
  • Insulin -  a protein that helps control your blood glucose levels.
  • Diabetes - a condition where the body can’t control its blood glucose levels
  • Diabetes - a condition where the body can’t control its blood glucose levels
    Different types of Diabetes:
    • Type 1 - the body can’t produce or can’t correctly use insulin
    Solution : regular injections of insulin
  • Where do you get spare insulin?
    A while back, we used to use animal insulin usually from cows or pigs. These days, using genetic engineering, we can make human insulin.
    • We take the gene, the genetic instructions for human insulin and insert that gene into bacteria cells, which allow genetically modified bacteria cells to make the insulin for us
  • Plasmids
    Little circles of DNA in bacteria cells
  • Making insulin from bacteria
    1. Take plasmids
    2. Use restriction enzyme to open plasmids
    3. Get human insulin gene
    4. Mix human insulin gene with open plasmids and Ligase
    5. Insert recombinant plasmid into bacteria cells
    6. Grow bacteria in fermentation tank to produce human insulin
  • Sticky ends
    Result of using restriction enzyme to open plasmids
  • Restriction enzyme
    Used to open plasmids and cut out human insulin gene
  • Ligase
    Enzyme that helps join the sticky ends of the human insulin gene and the plasmids
  • Recombinant plasmid
    Combination of the original bacteria DNA and the human insulin gene
  • Recombinant bacteria
    Bacteria with the recombinant plasmid inserted
  • Recombinant bacteria produce lots of human insulin based on their genetic instructions
  • The produced human insulin can then be collected, purified and bottled ready for use for humans
  • Simplified version of making insulin from bacteria cell:
    • We take the plasmid from the bacteria cell and use a restriction enzyme to cut a piece of it. Then, we take the gene that produces insulin from the human cell. We’ll cut a piece of the insulin gene from the human cell, and now that both plasmid and human cell insulin genes have sticky ends, we will use an enzyme called ligase to combine the sticky ends of the plasmid and human insulin gene and insert it into a vector and then place it in a fermentation tank for purification, and so that these modified bacteria.
  • Reasons why it is better to use insulin produced by bacteria rather than pigs.
    • Can replicate and reproduce quickly 
    • No ethical issues
    • A greater amount of insulin can be made
    • Humans could catch diseases (from the insulin) if pig insulin is used.
    • Religious reasons against using pig insulin
    • Pig insulin may be rejected/not work/ not pure/may cause reactions