Cloning and biotechnology

Cloning and Biotechnology Summary

Cloning:

  • Vegetative Propagation: Natural cloning in plants (e.g., strawberries).

  • Micropropagation: Involves genetic manipulation; includes selecting a plant with desirable traits, removing explants, and incubating them in nutrient-rich media with hormones (auxins) that promote root development. Cells divide to form a callus and are eventually planted to produce genetically identical plants. Useful for producing rare plants that are hard to grow from seeds.

  • Animal Cloning:

    • Artificial Twinning: Involves extracting zygotes, fertilizing them, and placing embryos in surrogate mothers, resulting in clones.

    • Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT): Involves extracting a somatic cell, enucleating it, and fusing it with an enucleated egg cell to form a zygote which then develops in a surrogate mother. Results in clones identical to the nucleus donor. Formed Dolly the sheep.

  • Advantages of Cloning: High yield, high quality produce, preservation of endangered species, and produces animals with desirable traits.

  • Disadvantages: Ethical concerns, shorter life spans, high miscarriage rates, and decreased genetic variation.

Biotechnology:

  • Defined as the industrial use of living microorganisms to produce food, drugs, and other products.

  • Examples:

    • Cheese: Enzyme rennin facilitates coagulation and forms curds.

    • Yoghurt: Bacteria produce lactic acid from milk.

    • Bread: Yeast respires producing CO2, aiding in rising.

    • Brewing: Yeast ferments sugars producing ethanol.

    • Mycoprotein: Derived from fungi, used as a meat substitute.

  • Penicillin and Insulin: Produced from fungal and genetically modified bacterial sources.

  • Bioremediation: Utilizing microorganisms to digest pollutants; effective in breaking down crude oil and enhancing detoxification processes.

Mycoprotein:

Grown in a large fermenter using fermentation under controlled techniques. Produced from a fungus.

  • Advantages: Grows rapidly, can be genetically modified, no ethical concerns.

  • Disadvantages: Risk of toxin production if conditions are uncontrolled, reliance on additives for flavor and nutritional value.

Aseptic Technique:

  • Essential for maintaining sterile conditions in lab work to prevent contamination. Involves sterilizing surfaces, using flame sterilization for equipment, and taking precautions to avoid airborne contaminants.