Definition: Changing the hereditary characteristics of organisms by adjusting

the genetic material

example: Making it possible for bacteria to produce human insulin

Genetic Manipulation

By Ruba Safieddine

Some forms of genetic manipulation are:-Selection-Recombinant DNA-Crossing-Cell Fusion-Cloning

-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Sequencing of DNA bases-Gel Electrophoresis -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

• Genetic manipulation has both advantages and disadvantages. However it is not allowed in many countries because of its unknown (potentially dangerous) long term effects

Selective breading of an organism that has a favourable trait with another so that the favourable trait is passed down to the next generation (Geilen & Neggers, 1991).

E.g. A mule is the result of the crossing of a horse and a donkey

Selection

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Substituting a gene from one organism to another by hybridization

DNA from one organism is cut up and the pieces are annealed to pieces from new DNA

Recombinant DNA

CrossingCombining different desirable traits from to different organisms to form one new organism

Cell Fusion One cell is formed by combining two cells This will allow a tomato cell and a potato cell to form a new plant

All points from (Geilen & Neggers, 1991)

A process in which identical cells are formed from a single cell by asexual reproduction

Example: Dolly the sheep Article: http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical/timeline/DollyVideo:

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/tlc/29324-understanding-cloning-a-cow-video.htm

2 Methods:-create a cell from the cell of another cells are divided into segments which are inserted in a different surrogate mother

-fertilized ovum is split into a number of cells which are separated the nucleus is removed and the nucleus of another organism replaces it

(Geilen & Neggers, 1991)

Cloning

Cloning the best plants produces healthier plants Increasing the amount of milk a cow produces by 10%

by using the hormone bovine somatotrophin (BST) (Di Giuseppe, Vavitsas, Ritter, and Fraser, 2003).

Agricultural Applications

Pro’s:-Could also give animals better protection against disease-Cloning of almost extinct animals-Cloning of bacteria that prevent pollution

Con’s:-Increasing the number of a species can result in imbalance in ecosystem-Animals that do not economically benefit society may disappear

Production of human growth hormone for dwarfism (Microbial Genomics: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology , 2000).

Endorphin (Painkiller) derived from bacteria (Microbial Genomics, 2000).

Gene Therapy-used to correct a mutated gene that could

cause a genetic disorder mutated gene may be replaced by a

normal gene or by reverse mutation(Di Giuseppe, et al., 2003)

Industrial Applications

References

Di Giuseppe, Maurice, Vavitsas, Angela, Ritter, Dr. Bob, & Fraser, Douglas (2003). Biology 12. Canada: Thomson Nelson.

Gielen, Jeroen and Neggers (1991). Genetic Manipulation. Retrieved March 28, 2009, from ThinkQuest Web site: http://library.thinkquest.org/17498/I3.htm

Microbial Genomics: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (2000). Microbial Genomics. Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from <http://microbialgenomics.energy.gov/primer/science_biotech.shtml>.