GENETIC ENGINEERING

1. GENETIC ENGINEERING By awesome Michael, Donovan, Zara and ordinary Calvin

2. 5.13 Describe how plasmids and viruses can act as vectors, which take up pieces of DNA, then insert this recombinant DNA into other cells.

3. 5.13-Describe how plasmids and viruses, which take up pieces, of DNA, then insert this recombinant DNA into other cells.

4. Plasmid Bacteria Ring of DNA Very small and do not carry many genes

5. First a human gene is linked onto a plasmid

6. Then the plasmid is inserted into a plant cell though a gene gun

7. Once the gene is inserted into the cell, the cell can mitosis into more cells and finally grows into a genetically modified plant

8. 5.14 understand that large amounts of human insulin can be manufactured from genetically modified bacteria that are grown in a fermenter

12. 5.15 Evaluate the potential for using genetically modified plants to improve food production (illustrated by plants with improved resistance to pests Genes can be transferred from one organism to another. This is called genetic engineering. Through genetic engineering, we can improve crop yield. Advantages of genetically modifying plants: • Increase crop yield, for more income for commercial farming. • Plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces. (not really food production related) Disadvantages of genetically modifying plants: • Upset food web in the ecosystem, as plants become resistant to pests, so insects could no longer feed on the plants. (However this situation is unlikely)

13. Example: Crop Maize • Maize is damaged by the larvae of the European cork borer and can cause up to 20% loss of crop yield. • The bacterial Bt has a chromosome which contains a gene which produces Bt toxin and is known to kill the larvae. • The first step is to take the restriction enzyme to the gene of the Bt bacterium and cut the gene out so we have the Bt gene for the toxin. • This is then transferred to the cells of the maize plants with a 'gene gun' which involves taking tiny particles of gold coating them in Bt gene, which is fired at high velocity at the plant cell, introducing the Bt gene to the interior of the plant cell. • So the plant cell gets the genes, so the maize cells have the Bt genes and means when it is activated, it produces the Bt toxin and kills the larvae. • Increases crop yield.