Biotechnology and Society

Vocabulary flashcards on Biotechnology and Society

Biotechnology

Use of recombinant DNA and molecular biology to produce commodities (drugs, better crops) and services (diagnostic tests, individual identification).

Recombinant DNA technology

Safer method of producing human insulin in bacteria compared to extracting from cow and pig pancreas.

Transgenic protein production in animals

Production of human proteins in mammary glands of cows, goats, and sheep, purified from milk.

Genetically Modified Foods

Foods produced through selective addition of certain genes from another plant, animal, bacteria, or fungus.

Golden Banana

A genetically modified food with improved nutritional value, specifically boosted Vitamin A.

DNA profiling

A biotechnology tool developed in the 1980s using Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) for individual identification.

Electrophoresis in DNA Identification

A technique used to separate DNA fragments based on size, creating a smear of overlapping fragments.

Stem Cells (Embryonic)

Stem cells from the blastocyst that can become any cell type; pluripotent.

Stem Cells (Adult)

Stem cells from adult tissues and organs with limited cell types; multipotent.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)

Stem cells that have been reprogrammed from adult cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state.

CRISPR

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat - a component of a gene editing system.

Cas9

Enzyme which cuts DNA in the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system.

Xenotransplantation

Using animal organs for human transplants.

Precision Medicine

Personalized approach to health treatment combining different areas of information.