Unit B 4-5

Animal Science and the Industry

Problem Area 4

Understanding Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology

Lesson 5

Understanding Molecular Biotechnology

Interest Approach

What does the word “biotechnology” mean to you? What do you think of when you hear the word “biotechnology?”

Student Learning Objectives

1. Identify the major areas of biotechnology in animal science.

2. Explain various molecular biotechnology methods.

3. Discuss applications of molecular biotechnology.

Terms

Animal biotechnology Biotechnology Genetic engineering Gene transfer Microinjection Molecular

biotechnology

Organismic biotechnology

Particle injection Plasmids Recombinant DNA Transgene Transgenic animal

What are the major areas of biotechnology in animal science?

I. Biotechnology is the management of biological systems for the benefit of people and their environment. It is also viewed as the application of science in food and fiber production.

Animal biotechnology is the application of biotechnology methods to improve animals. There are two major areas of biotechnology

Biotechnology has been used for hundreds of years. Using yeast to make bread and bacteria to make cheese are everyday examples of biotechnology

A. Molecular biotechnology is changing the structure and parts of cells to change the organism. It begins with the atom.

Molecular biotechnology often changes the physical appearance of an organism. In some cases, undesirable traits may develop along with those that are desired.

B. Organismic biotechnology deals with intact or complete organisms.

The genetic makeup of the organism is not artificially changed. This is the most widely used type of biotechnology.

What are some of the various molecular biotechnology methods?

A. Genetic Engineering is a form of biotechnology in which genetic information is changed to make a new product. Through this process, sections of the DNA strand are cut out and new sections are inserted.

Gene transfer is the moving of a gene from one organism to another. Genetic engineering is a means of complementing traditional breeding programs.

B. Recombinant DNA is gene slicing. Genes are cut out of a DNA strand with a restriction enzyme that works like a scalpel. They are then inserted into circular DNA molecules in bacteria plasmids.

Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA found outside the nucleus in bacteria. It is inserted into the cell that is to be altered.

This complicated and complex procedure allows the DNA of two different organisms to be combined.

Most cells die in the process. Many surviving cells do not have the new DNA present in the nucleus

C. A transgenic animal is an animal that has incorporated a foreign gene into its cells.

This animal can pass to its offspring this transgene, or altered gene.

All of the cells within the transgenic animal contain this transgene.

Some common transgenic methods are:

1. Microinjection—This is the most common method used. Injecting DNA into a cell using a fine diameter glass needle and a microscope.

2. Particle injection is using a micro projectile unit to shoot tiny particles coated with DNA into cells. Micro projectile units are sometimes called particle guns. Both methods have relatively low success rates

What are some of the applications of

molecular biotechnology?

A. Human Health—Animals are being used to study several different types of diseases found in humans. Insulin was once extracted from the pancreas of slaughtered cattle and hogs.

This extraction process was very expensive. Sometime the animal insulin caused allergic reactions to the diabetics who used it.

Through molecular biotechnology, insulin is now produced artificially in laboratories that is higher quality and less expensive to produce.

B. Food production—Increasing the levels of beta casein in milk decreases the time required for rennet coagulation and whey expulsion in making cheese.

This lowers total processing time and cost. Also with biotechnology, the fat content in milk can be reduced to make fat-free cheese and ice cream. If a substance known as kappa casein is increased 5 percent in milk, it makes it more stable and easier to ship

C. Livestock production—The use of biotechnology has increased growth rate, efficiency, and disease resistance in livestock. This has made livestock production cost decline and aids in the supply of a low cost food supply.

Review/ Summary

1. What are the major areas of biotechnology in animal science?

2. What are various molecular biotechnology methods?

3. What are some applications of molecular biotechnology?