Genetic

Engineering
 Genetic engineering: Changing the DNA
in living organisms to create something
new.

 This organisms are called Genetically

Modified Organism (GMO)

Example:
 Bacteria that produce human insulin

 Genetically Modified organism are

called transgenic organism; since genes
are transferred from one organism to
another.
Some genetic engineering techniques
are as follows:
1. Artificial selection
A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding

2. Cloning
3. Gene splicing
4. Gel electrophoresis: analyzing DNA
1. artificial selection: breeders choose which
organism to mate to produce offspring with
desired traits.
 They cannot control what genes are passed.
 When they get offspring with the desired
traits, the maintain them.

Three types of artificial selection:

A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding
A. Selective breeding: when animals with
desired characteristics are mated to
produce offspring with those desired traits.
 Passing of important genes to next
generation.
 Example: Champion race horses, cows with
tender meat, large juicy oranges on a tree.
 For example people breed dogs for specific
purposes.
 Dachshund were once bred to hunt
badgers and other burrowing animals.
 They must be small to fit into the animals
hole in the ground.
 Selective breeding occurs when you choose
the best male and female to breed.
 This allows you to fine tune and control the
traits
 The offspring or babies will then have the best
traits.
 Then you continue to breed those organism
with the best traits, those traits will be
maintained.
Examples of
selective breeding:

 Angus cows are bred to increase

muscle mass so that we get more
meat,

 Egg-Laying Hen-produces more

eggs than the average hen
 B. Hybridizations: two individuals with unlike
characteristics are crossed to produce the best in
both organisms.
 Example: Luther Burbank created a disease
resistant potato called the Burbank potato.
 He crossed a disease resistant plant with one that
had a large food producing capacity.
 Result: disease resistant plant that makes a lot of
potatoes.
Other Examples of hybridization:
1. Liger: lion and tiger mix
2. Grape + apple= grapple. The fruit
tastes like grapes and looks like
apple.
C. Inbreeding breeding of organism that genetically
similar to maintain desired traits.
 Dogs breeds are kept pure this way.
 Its how a Doberman remains a Doberman.
 It keeps each breed unique from others.
 Risk: since both have the same genes, the chance
that a baby will get a recessive genetic disorder is
high.
 Risks: blindness, joint deformities.
 Variation: difference between
individuals of a species.
 The differences are in the
genes but we see the physical
differences.
 For example: Some humans
have blond hair and some
have brown. This is a variation
among humans.
 Some finches have short
beaks, some have long beaks.
 Inbreeding decreases
variations.
2. Cloning: creating an organism that is
an exact genetic copy of another.
 There are human clones in our school.
 identical twins are naturally created
clones.
 Clone: group of cells or organisms that
are genetically identical as a result of
asexual reproduction
 They will have the same exact DNA as
the parent.
How is cloning done?
► A single cell is removed from a
parent organism.
► An entire individual is grown from
that cell.
► Remember one cell has all the DNA
needed to make an entire organism.
► Each cell in the body has the same
DNA, but cells vary because different
genes are turned on in each cell.
 Dolly:
 Dolly was the first
mammal cloned.
 She had the same
exact DNA as her
mother and had no
father.
 Cloning is a form of
asexual reproduction.
 Only one genetic
parent.
http://content.tutorvista.com/biology_11/content/media/cloning.swf
 Since Dolly, cats and other organisms have
been cloned.
 The cat that was cloned had the same exact
DNA but different color fur than the mother.

 How can this be?

 Environment plays a huge part in the way
organisms develop.
 Eggs are haploid
 Haploid: half the
chromosomes, 23 in
humans

 Body cells are diploid:

 Diploid: two sets of
chromosomes, one
from mom and one set
from dad 46 in humans.
How could you
clone a human?
 Step 1: An egg is
removed from a
female human
 Eggs are haploid: 23 23
chromosomes.
EGG CELL
 The nucleus of the
egg is removed and
is thrown away.
 Step 2: A body cell is
removed from
another person.
 The nucleus of the
body cell is
removed
 Body cells are
diploid: 46 46
chromosomes.
Body Cell
 Step 3:
 The nucleus of the
diploid body cell is
put into the egg.
 Thisegg no longer
needs to be fertilized
since it has all 46 46
chromosomes.
EGG CELL
 Step 4: The egg is then
charged with electricity to
start mitosis.

 Step 5: Its then put into a

surrogate mother so it can
grow.

 Its going to be genetically

identical to the parent of the
body cell.
 But it will be a baby.

 Plants and animals can be

cloned.
Benefits of cloning:
1. you can make exact
copies of organisms with
strong traits.
2. Increase food supply
3. Medical purposes: Extinct Saber Tooth Tiger
clone organs for
transplants.
4. Bring back or Stop
species from going
extinct.
Risks of cloning:
1. Decreases genetic
diversity
2. If one of your clones
gets a disease, they all
get it: same immune
system.
3. Inefficient: high failure
rate: 90%+
4. Expensive
3. Gene splicing: DNA is cut out
of one organism and put into
another organism

 A trait will be transferred from

one organism to another.

 For example: the human

insulin gene can be removed
from a human cell.
 It can be put into a bacterial
cell.
 The bacterial will now make
human insulin.
 This picture represents gene splicing.
 However, DNA is much smaller.
 Its done with high tech lab equipment
since DNA, is too small to hold or see
without a microscope.
The red piece the
woman is holding is
an insulin gene from a
human being. It is
being combined with
DNA from a bacteria.
Creates recombinant
DNA, something that
has never existed
before.
Benefits:
insulin is cheaper
There are no side
effects because it
is human insulin.
We once used
pig insulin but
there are side
effects and it
more expensive.
How are genes cut for gene
splicing?
 A bacterial plasmid is used.

 Plasmid: circular DNA in a

bacteria cell.
 It is very simple and easy to
manipulate.
 A restriction enzyme: enzyme that cuts the DNA at a specific code.
 There are thousands of restriction enzymes.
 Each cuts DNA at a different sequence.
 Some look for GGCC and cut in between the G and C.
 Every time GGCC is found in the DNA it is cut by the restriction
enzyme

DNA Code:

 TTATGGCCATACGGCCTT
 AATACCGGTATGCCGGAA
 TTATGGCCATACGGCCTT
 AATACCGGTATGCCGGAA

 TTATGG CCATACGG CCTT

 AATACC GGTATGCC GGAA

 This DNA segment was cut twice creating three

fragments.
 Since every one is different, we all have a
different amount of times GGCC is found.
 My DNA may be cut seven times
 Yours may be cut ten times.
How is gene
splicing done?
1. A restriction
enzyme cuts the
insulin gene out
of the human
DNA.

2. A plasmid is
removed from a
bacteria and cut
with a restriction
enzyme
3. The human gene is place into the bacteria
plasmid
4. The plasmid is placed back into the bacteria.
 The cell now has directions (DNA) to make insulin.
 That's exactly what it does.
 Its human insulin, bacteria do not make insulin on
their own.

Plasmid with
insulin gene
 This is called transformation: when a gene from
one organism is transferred to different organism.
 The organisms that have DNA transferred to them
are called transgenic organisms.

 trans: means different,

 genic: refers to genes

 Genetic engineering has given rise to a new

technological field called biotechnology
(technology of life).
1. Transgenic (GMO) animals: genes inserted into
animals so they produce what humans need.
 Why?: A way to improve the food supply:
A. Transgenic cows: gene inserted to increase milk
production.
B. Spider goat: gene from spider
inserted into goat.
 Goats makes silk of the spider web in
their milk.
 Flexible, stronger than steel. Used in
bullet proof jackets.
C. Glow-in-the-
dark cats
Scientist used a
virus to insert DNA
from jellyfish
The gene made
the cat produce
a fluorescent
protein in its fur.
2. Transgenic bacteria: gene inserted
into bacteria so they produce things
humans need.
 For example: insulin and clotting
factors in blood are now made by
bacteria.
3. Transgenic plants: plants are given genes so
they meet human needs.

A. Transgenic corn: given a gene so corn

produces a natural pesticide.
Now they don’t have to be sprayed with
cancer causing pesticides.
 25% of all corn is like this.
B. Venomous cabbage
 gene from a scorpion tails
inserted into cabbage.
 Cabbage now produces
that chemical.
 Why? Limit pesticide use
while still preventing insects
from damaging crops.
 Corporations state the toxin
is modified so it isn’t harmful
to humans.
C. Banana vaccines
 virus is injected into a banana,
the virus DNA becomes part of
the plant.
 As the plant grows, it produces
the virus proteins — but not the
disease part of the virus.

 When people eat a bite, their

immune systems creates
antibodies to fight the disease
— just like a traditional vaccine

 Vaccines for hepatitis and

cholera
 A virus is often used to deliver DNA.
 In the movie “I Am Legend,” A healthy gene
was inserted into a virus.
 The virus invaded the cancer cells and inserts
the healthy gene to cure cancer.
 Worked at first but the virus mutated and
became deadly.
 This is being attempted in real life.
 Gene therapy: when disease causing
genes are cut out and good gene are
inserted.
 Restriction enzymes are used to cut
out bad genes.
 Viruses are used to insert good genes.
 Not approved for human use yet.
 Some possible side effects.
4. Gel electrophoresis: a technique used to
compare DNA from two or more
organisms.

Why compare DNA:

1. Find your baby’s daddy
2. Who committed a crime.

3. How closely species are related.

How is
electrophoresis
done?
A. The DNA is cut into
fragments with a
restriction enzyme.
B. The cut DNA is then
put into the wells of
a machine filled
with gel.
 The gel is spongy
and the DNA
squeezes through
the pores.
C. The machine is plugged in and the
fragments get separated based on their size.
 Thesmaller fragments move further than the
large.
 Separation of DNA based on
size of fragments.

 Electrophoresis
results

Final result of electrophoresis

 Electricity provides the energy

Why does DNA move?

 DNA has a negative charge.

 When the machine is plugged it, its moves

towards the positive pole created by the
electricity
electrophoresis
 Genetic engineering creates organisms with recombinant DNA.
 Recombinant DNA: when DNA is combined from at least two
organisms.

Which techniques create recombinant DNA

1. Sexual reproduction: natural
2. selective breeding
3. Hybridization
4. Gene splicing
 Does cloning create organisms with
recombinant DNA?
 No, the DNA from one organism is
copied.
 DNA is not recombined.