GMOs

• genetic engineering

  • technique used to deliberately modify specific characteristics of an organism

  -involves removing gene that codes for desireable characteristic

  -transferring gene into another organism

  -desired gene then expressed-organism now contains recombinant DNA and is a genetically modified organism(GMO)
• genetically modified microorganism(bacteria)


  1)restriction enzyme used to remove gene coding for a desired protein from an organisms genome

  2)many copies of gene are made using PCR

  3)these copies are inserted into plasmids, which then transfer copies into microorganisms(plasmid is the vector)-ligase joins gene to vector

  4)GMMO grown in large fermenters- multiply and produce large quanities of the new protein

  5)protein isolated and purified before packaged and distributed
• genetically modified plants

  • gene inserted into plasmid, transferred to bacterial cell,bacteria can be used to infect plants for introducing gene to plant
  • gene transferred from bacterial cell into plant cell nucleus-each cell of plant contains copy of gene coding for desired protein
  • protein can now be purified from plant tissues or plant can be eaten