Genetic Engineering 2019

Front 1

What is genetic engineering?

Back 1

It is the manipulation of an Organisms DNA

Front 2

What are organisms who have had their DNA altered called?

Back 2

Transformed organisms

Front 3

What is different about genetically modified organisms?

Back 3

They have recombinant DNA

Front 4

What is recombinant DNA?

Back 4

DNA formed by joining together DNA from different sources

Front 5

The genes that are joined to make recombinant DNA are from one of two places.

Back 5

•Gene from another organism, usually a different species

•Genes can also be manufactured

Front 6

What happens once the recombinant genes are inserted into the organism?

Back 6

The organism will produce proteins that are coded by that gene

Front 7

Organism which have been genetically modified to contain genes from a different species are also know as what?

Back 7

Transgenic organism

Front 8

Transformed organisms are also know as what two things?

Back 8

Genetically engineered or Genetically modified organisms

Front 9

What is the first stage of genetic engineering?

Back 9

The DNA fragments containing the desired gene is isolated using restriction enzymes

Front 10

Once the desired gene is obtained, what is it used to do?

Back 10

The isolated DNA fragments is inserted into a vector using restriction enzymes and DNA ligase

Front 11

What is a vector?

Examples

Back 11

Something that is used to transfer DNA into a cell. This can be plasmids or bacteriophages

Front 12

What is the desired gene inserted into a vector DNA using? Why?

Back 12

It is cut open using the same restriction enzyme which was used to isolate the DNA containing the desired gene. This is so the sticky ends of the vector are complementary to the sticky ends of the DNA fragment contain the gene.

Front 13

Once we have vector DNA and DNA fragments, what happens next? What is the name of this process?

Back 13

The fragments are mixed together with DNA ligase. DNA ligase joins up the sugar phosphate backbones of the two bits.

This is called Ligation

Front 14

What is a plasmid?

Back 14

Small circular molecules of DNA in bacteria

Front 15

What are bacteriophages?

Back 15

Viruses that infect bacteria

Front 16

How does a plasmid containing the recombinant DNA transfer the desired gene into Bacteria?

Back 16

1) A suspension of bacterial cells is mixed with the plasmid vector and placed into an electroporator

2) The machine is turned on; an electrical field is created in the mixture. This increases the permeability of the bacterial cell membranes, allowing them to take in the plasmids

Front 17

What is the process through which plasmids are inserted into the bacteria called?

Back 17

Electroporation

Front 18

How does bacteriophages vector insert it's DNA into a Bacteria?

Back 18

The bacteriophage infects the bacterium by injecting it's DNA into it. The bacteriophage's DNA (with the desired gene in it) then integrates into the bacterial DNA

Front 19

Plants can be genetically modified to develop what?

Back 19

Insect resistance

Front 20

Give an example of a plant that is genetically modified often, why?

Back 20

Soybean, their yield is greatly reduced by pests

Front 21

What type of gene are soybeans genetically modified to have? From who?

Back 21

A gene from a Bacteria

The gene codes for proteins which make the plant toxic to some insects and hence resistant

Front 22

Describe the process of genetic engineering of plants

Back 22

•The desired gene is isolated from the bacteria using restriction enzymes

•The gene is then inserted into a plasmid taken from another bacterium

•The recombinant plasmid is put back into the second bacteria

•The plant cells are deliberately infected with the transformed bacteria

•The desired gene gets inserted into plant cells DNA producing a GMO

Front 23

What are some advantages of genetically modifying plants to be insect resistant?

Back 23

Reduce use of pesticides which are bad for the environment.

Long term cheaper

Higher yields

Front 24

What are some negatives of genetically modifing plants to have insect resistance?

Back 24

GM plants may encourage monoculture. This decreases biodiversity and could leave whole crops vulnerable to disease because all f the plants are genetically identical

Front 25

What can genetic engineering be used to produce in animals?

Back 25

Medicinal drugs

Front 26

Producing drugs from GMO is known as what?

Back 26

Pharming

Front 27

What is a hereditary antithrombin deficiency?

Back 27

A disorder that makes blood clots more likely to form in the body

Front 28

What can be used to reduce such blood clots?

Back 28

Infusions of the protein antithrombin

Front 29

How have scientists developed a way to produce lots of antithrombin?

Back 29

Using goats

Front 30

How are goats used to produce high yields of the antithrombin protein?

Back 30

•DNA fragments that code for production of human antithrombin is injected into a goat embryo

•That embryo is implanted into a female goat

•Once born, it's milk is tested to check of it contains antithrombin

•If Yes, selective breeding is used to produce a herd of such goats

•The protein can then be extracted from the milk and used in drugs

Front 31

What are the positives of pharming?

Back 31

Large quantities

More available to people

Front 32

What are the negatives of pharming?

Back 32

•May cause harmful side effects to animals

•Makes animals assets for humans to what the wish with

Front 33

What can GM pathogens be used for?

Back 33

To carry out research on in order to find treatments for diseases.

Front 34

What's an example of GM pathogens?

Back 34

You could genetically modify pathogens (poliovirus) so the genes that cause a disease are inactive. The poliovirus can then be used to attack cancer cells in the body (because some tumour cells have receptors on their membranes for poliovirus, so the virus can recognise and attack it) without causing disease.

Front 35

What are the ethical concerns of genetically modifying pathogens?

Back 35

•Scientists could get infected and cause mass outbreak of the disease

•The GM pathogens could revert back to original form and cause an outbreak of disease

•In the wrong hands, the knowledge of how to GM dangerous bacteria could lead to biowarfare

Front 36

What is done to limit these potential issues?

Back 36

Researchers using live pathogens have to follow strict protocols

Front 37

What is the main advantage of using/ developing GM bacteria?

Back 37

They can help cure diseases which previously were untreatable, reducing suffering

Front 38

What is usually done to improve technology quickly?

Back 38

Scientists and different institutions share informations and skills so technology develops faster. Technology Transfer

Front 39

Big companies owning GMO can be good because...

Back 39

They patent it and get payment for its distribution and use. This increases competition between companies so they can be the first to patent something. This leads to faster development of products

Front 40

What are some negative issues with big companies owning GMO?

Back 40

Poorer farmers may not be able to afford patented GMO seeds. Or they may not be legally be allowed to regrow seeds from the crop the next year without buying them again which would be burden for many poorer farmers

Front 41

What are genetic/ inherited disorders caused by?

Back 41

Abnormal genes or chromosomes

Front 42

Is there a way to cure genetic disorders?

Back 42

Gene therapy

Front 43

What does gene therapy involve?

Back 43

Altering alleles inside cells to cure genetic disorders

Front 44

The way you use gene therapy depends on what?

Back 44

Whether the genetic disorder is caused by a dominant allele or 2 recessive allele

Front 45

What can you do if the disorder is caused by 2 recessive alleles?

Back 45

You can add a working dominant allele which would overide the recessive allele

Front 46

What can be done if the disorder is caused by a dominant allele?

Back 46

You can 'silence' the dominant allele by adding a bit of DNA in the middle of the allele so it doesn't work anymore

Front 47

How do you get the new allele inside the cell?

Back 47

The allele is inserted into cells using a vector

Front 48

What types of vectors can be used?

Back 48

Altered viruses

Plasmids

Liposomes

Front 49

What are the two types of gene therapy?

Back 49

Somatic therapy

Germ line therapy

Front 50

What does somatic therapy involve?

Back 50

Involves altering the allele in body cells, particularly the cells most affected by the disorder (e.g. epithelial cells in the lining of the lungs for CF)

Front 51

What is a disadvantage of somatic therapy?

Back 51

It doesn't affect sex cells so any offspring could inherit the disorder

Front 52

What is Germ line therapy?

Back 52

Involves altering the allele in the sex cells. This means that every cell of the offspring produced from these cells will be affected by the gene therapy and won't have the disorder

Front 53

What are the positive ethical issues of gene therapy?

Back 53

•Prolong their lives

•Better quality of life

•May be able to conceive offspring who doesn't have the disorder or risk of cancer (germ line)

•Decrease the no. of people that suffer from genetic disorders (germ line)

Front 54

What are the negative ethical issues of gene therapy?

Back 54

•Technology could be used for other things rather than medical treatments, e.g. aging

•Genes could be overexpressed and cause more harm than good

•It's very expensive, resources could be better spent on other developed treatments

Front 55

What are other possible disadvantages of gene therapy?

Back 55

•For somatic, the effects could be short lived

•Patients might have to undergo several treatments

•Might be difficult to insert allele into the exact correct cells

•The body could identify vectors as a foreign body and start an immune response absinthe

•Alleles could be inserted in the wrong place

•Overexpressed, too much if the missing protein could be made

Front 56

When asked for the source of genetic information from a saliva or urine or blood test...

Back 56

Pick any cell that could be found there. It must have DNA in it

Front 57

When asked for the source of genetic information from a saliva or urine or blood test...

Back 57

Pick any cell that could be found there. It must have DNA in it

Front 58

How do pioneer species arrive at bare rock?

Back 58

•Spores for lichens and mosses

•Seeds through bird faeces

Front 59

What vector to use for humans/ animals vs plants/ bacteria?

Back 59

Liposomes/ virus

Or

Plasmid

Front 60

What is the differences between DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase?

Back 60

DNA polymerase; involved in DNA Replication. Both strands are used during replication. Takes place before mitosis

RNA polymerase; involved in transcription. Males mRNA using a short section of a single strands of DNA as a template