GENETIC ENGINEERING

AND CLONING

Can you imagine a world where you can pick your child’s trait?

What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism.

Understanding Genetic Engineering: Basic Biology

DNAIt is the recipe for life.It is a molecule found in the nucleus of every cell and is made up of 4 subunits represented by the letters A, T, G, and C.

GENE

It is the small segments of DNA. Each gene holds the instructions for how to produce a single protein

How is DNA important in genetic engineering?

DNA is a ‘universal language’, meaning the genetic code means the same thing in all organisms. This characteristic is critical to the success of genetic engineering. When a gene for a desirable trait is taken from one organism and inserted into another, it gives the ‘recipient’ organism the ability to express that same trait.

• It is also used to create more perfect plants; the goal is to develop crops that are resistant to disease or insects. Or that produce more seeds, more or better fruit or a bigger overall harvest.

GENETIC ENGINEERING

• By tinkering with the genetic make up of plants, scientist can encourage desired traits and eliminate unwanted ones.

• Another sample of genetic engineering that is similar to cloning is the creation of animals hybrids ( crosses between 2 species of animals.) or of Chimeras, which are combinations of animals and humans. The goal of these is usually to find new ways of creating substance or organs that can be used in humans.

CLONING

What is Cloning?• Cloning is a form of genetic engineering in which the DNA

of a person, animal, plant, or even a bacterium is used to produce a perfect or near perfect genetic replica of the original.

• True cloning is the creation of a genetic twin of the original organism.

• Modern cloning method that has received the most attention is known as “Somatic cell nuclear transfer,” the process involves removing the nucleus of an egg cell or ovum. The resulting embryo will be genetically, the same as the organism that provided the somatic cell nucleus. The embryo can then be implanted into the uterus.

• The announcement, in February 23, 1997, that a newborn sheep named Dolly had been cloned from another sheep made world wide news.

• Cloning does not have to result in an entire animal. In many cases, cloning is used to create a “cell line” which is the result of cloning individual cells. This can be used to produce substance that are beneficial to humans, such as insulin

Potential uses of Cloning:

1.Replacing organs and other tissues2.Infertility – provides couples and individuals

who are unable to have children with another potential option.

3.Saving endangered species

Problems with Cloning:4.Low success rate5.Massive quantities f human eggs required6.Genetic Defects

Ethical Considerations:

It is not the Science that worries people, but the way that it is applied.

Reference:

Stanley, D. (2000). Genetic engineering: The cloning debate. New York: Rosen.