Genetic Engineering, DNA Fingerprinting, Gene Therapy Essay, Research Paper
State a feature of genetic material can be transferred between species
because the genetic code is universal Genetic material can be transferred between species because the genetic code
is universal Outline a basic technique used for gene transfer involving plasmids, a host
cell, restriction enzymes, and DNA ligase. ? Use of E.Coli ? Most of its DNA is in
circular chromosomes ? It also has plasmids ? The plasmids are removed
and cleaved by restriction enzymes at target sequences ? DNA fragments from another
organism can also be cleaved by the same restriction enzyme and these pieces can
be added to the open plasmid and spliced together by ligase ? The recombinant plasmids
formed can be inserted into host cells and cloned. State two examples of the current uses of genetic engineering in agriculture
and/or pharmacy ? Improved crops and animal
breeds by increased disease resistance ? Bacteria that can be made
to produce insulin Explain one potential harmful result of genetic engineering Release of genetically engineering organisms into environment that
subsequently spread to other species. E.g. resistance to pesticide to weeds.
State what PCR does PCR copies and amplifies minute quantities of nucleic acid State what gel electrophoresis involves the separation of fragmented pieces
of DNA according to their charge and size Gel electrophoresis involves the separation of fragmented pieces of DNA
according to their charge and size State which process is used in DNA profiling Gel electrophoresis Describe two applications of DNA profiling 1. Determining Parentage 2. Criminal Cases Outline the process of gene therapy using a named example ? Defective genes are
replaced. ? White blood cells or bone
marrow cells are removed, and by means of a vector, the normal gene is
introduced and inserted into the chromosome ? The cells are replaced in
the patient so the normal gene can be expressed ? Examples are cystic
fibrosis.