Genetic engineering

• Some everyday items could be genetically engineered and you should understand what that means.
• Stage 1


  Identify section of DNA that contains required gene from source chromosome
• Stage 2


  Extract required gene using enzymes
• Stage 3


  Extract plasmid from bacterial cell
• Stage 4


  Insert required gene into bacterial plasmid using enzymes
• Stage 5


  Insert plasmid into host bacterial cell to produce a genetically modified (GM) organism
• Genetic information can be transferred from one organism to another by genetic engineering.
• Research task


  1. Research a current genetic food or issues

  2. golden rice

  3. bird resistance to bird flu

  4. tomatoes with longer shelf life

  5. blight resistant potatoes

  6. production of medicines for human use, e.g. insulin and growth hormone
• Answer the following questions about your example:


  1. Why is this an example of genetic engineering?

  2. What is the useful product? How is it made?

  3. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of genetic engineering for your chosen example.
• Explain what genetic engineering is and describe how insulin is made using genetically modified bacteria.

  You can use diagrams to illustrate your point.
• Genetic information can be transferred from one cell to another by genetic engineering.
• Understanding levels


  • I don't know anything about genetic engineering.
  • I know what genetic engineering is
  • I know the stages of genetic engineering
  • I can describe the process of genetic engineering and give an example of an everyday use.
  • I can make an informed opinion on the arguments for and against genetic engineering and the products made.
• Genetic engineering


  The process of transferring genetic information from one organism to another
• Genetic engineering process


  1. Identify section of DNA that contains required gene from source chromosome

  2. Extract required gene using enzymes

  3. Extract plasmid from bacterial cell

  4. Insert required gene into bacterial plasmid using enzymes

  5. Insert plasmid into host bacterial cell to produce a genetically modified (GM) organism
• Genetic information can be transferred from one organism to another by genetic engineering
• Genetic engineering


  • Used to produce a genetically modified (GM) organism
• Genetic engineering examples


  • Golden rice
  • Bird resistance to bird flu
  • Tomatoes with longer shelf life
  • Blight resistant potatoes
  • Production of medicines for human use, e.g. insulin and growth hormone
• Genetic engineering example


  • Why is this an example of genetic engineering?
  • What is the useful product? How is it made?
  • Give one advantage and one disadvantage of genetic engineering for your chosen example
• Understanding of genetic engineering


  • I don't know anything about genetic engineering
  • I know what genetic engineering is
  • I know the stages of genetic engineering
  • I can describe the process of genetic engineering and give an example of an everyday use
  • I can make an informed opinion on the arguments for and against genetic engineering and the products made
• Genetic information can be transferred from one cell to another by genetic engineering
• Insulin production using genetic engineering


  1. Identify section of DNA that contains insulin gene from human chromosome

  2. Extract insulin gene with enzymes

  3. Cut bacterial plasmid with enzymes

  4. Insert insulin gene into bacterial plasmid

  5. Insert plasmid into bacterial cell

  6. Bacterial cell copies plasmid

  7. The transformed bacteria produces a small amount of insulin

  8. The transformed bacterial cell will multiply and they will all be able to produce insulin