Genetic Engineering

What is Genetic Engineering?

The artificial manipulation/alteration of genes

What’s an application for Plants?

Resistant to pests

What’s an application for Micro-Organisms?

Production of vaccines/Produce insulin

What’s an application for Animals?

Lactose free milk

What’s an issue surrounding Genetic Engineering?

Genetically modified organisms may have consequences to the enviroment eg. weeds resistant to weed killer effecting food chain

What are the requirements for genetic engineering?

DNA, DNA Ligase, Plasmid and Restriction enzymes

List the 5 steps in Genetic engineering?

Isolation, Cutting, Transformation, Ligation, Introduction of base sequence change, Expression

What happens during Isolation?

Target gene and plasmid are removed from target cell and host cell

What happens during Cutting?

Restriction enzyme cuts the DNA and plasmid

What happens during Ligation?

Joining of the target DNA using enzyme DNA Ligase

What happens during Transformation?

Uptake of DNA (Plasmid)

What happens during introduction of base sequence change?

The order of bases in host DNA is now different

What happens during expression?

Production of a protein

What are anabolic enzymes?

Enzymes that join smaller molecules to form larger molecules eg. DNA Ligase

What are catabolic enzymes?

Enzymes that break down larger molecules into smaller ones eg. Restriction Enzymes