Chapter 11: Genetic Manipulation

• What is the definition of genetic engineering?

  Changing the genetic material of one organism by taking a gene from one organism and transferring it to the genetic material of another
• What is a transgenic organism?


  A genetically modified organism
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering?

  Advantages:

  • GM crops produce larger yield
  • Increase food value
  • Help address expanding population
  • Grow faster
  • Can mass produce human protein
  • Can grow in various climate conditions

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Uncertainty in long-term health effects
  • Pesticide-producing plants may lead to resistance
  • May spread to wildlife
  • Ethical concerns regarding 'designer children'
  • Reduce genetic diversity
• What are the two ways of cloning in plants?

  1. Cuttings

  • Section of the parent plant is cut and dipped in rooting hormone.
  • Placed in water or soil to grow.

  
  

  1. Tissue culture (micropropagation)

  • Tissue sample scraped from the parent plant and placed in agar medium with nutrients and hormones.
  • Forms a mass of tissue and plantlets grow.
• What are the advantages of using cuttings for cloning plants?

  Produced cheaply and quickly
• What are the disadvantages of using cuttings for cloning plants?

  Can’t produce many new cloned plants at once
• What are the advantages of tissue culture in cloning plants?

  Can grow many plants quickly, control the environment, boost yield, and preserve rare plant species
• What are the disadvantages of tissue culture in cloning plants?


  Expensive to carry out, vulnerable to environmental changes, no new traits, and less genetic diversity
• What are the two ways of cloning in animals?

  1. Embryo cloning

  • Splitting apart cells from developing embryos and transplanting them into host mothers.

  
  

  1. Adult cell cloning

  • Removing the nucleus from one animal's cell and inserting it into an empty egg cell from another animal.
  • The egg cell is stimulated to multiply and implanted into a surrogate.
• What are the advantages of embryo cloning in animals?

  Allows production of more offspring from the best animals and can replicate genetically identical animals quickly
• What are the disadvantages of embryo cloning in animals?

  Only viable for wealthy farmers and countries, and raises ethical concerns
• What are the advantages of adult cell cloning?

  Can produce GM animals, save endangered species, revive extinct species, and prevent inherited diseases
• What are the disadvantages of adult cell cloning?

  Technology may be used to clone babies, vulnerable to environmental changes, and decreases genetic diversity
• What is the method of harvesting GM insulin?

  Cut out insulin gene, insert it into a plasmid, and take it up by bacteria to harvest insulin
• What are the benefits of harvesting GM insulin?

  • Overcome ethical concerns
  • Less likely to cause adverse reactions
  • Made in large amounts in a fermenter
• What are the beneficial implications of GM crops?

  1. Combat food insecurity
  2. Produce own pesticide
  3. Resistant to herbicide
  4. Can be grown in various climates
• What is one application of genetic engineering?

  Producing genetically modified crops