Transcript Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Genetic Engineering
Selective Breeding
Where did all the breeds of dogs come from?
◦ Humans bred dogs to have certain traits,
breeding dogs that had the best versions
◦ Selective breeding only allows the traits we
want to be passed down to the next
generation
 Hybridization is crossing different organisms
with two different desirable traits
◦ Disease resistance plant crossed with foodproducing capacity plant
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Dog Breeds
Selective Breeding

Inbreeding is the continued breeding of
organisms with similar characteristics
◦ Maintains desired characteristics
◦ Only allowing a dog to mate with another of
its own breed
◦ Can increase the likelihood of genetic
defect/disease
Increasing Variation
Breeders can increase variation by inducing
mutations, which are the ultimate source of
genetic variability
◦ Mutations are inheritable changes in DNA
◦ Occur spontaneously or increase chance
through chemicals and radiation
◦ Most are harmful, a few can be desirable
 Most useful in bacteria
 Used to create polyploidy (extra
chromosomes) in plants, which is less harmful
to plants
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Manipulating DNA

Genetic engineering is making changes in the
DNA code of a living organism
◦ Remove the code
◦ Read the code
◦ Change the code
◦ Replace the code in the organism
Manipulating DNA
Removing the code: extraction; DNA is
separated from the other parts of the cell
◦ Extraction of DNA is done by rupturing the
cells and adding a precipitating reagent such as
ethanol, then DNA can be spooled onto a
glass rod or sucked out with a pipette.
 Cutting DNA into pieces is done with
restriction enzymes; each one cuts DNA at a
specific sequence of nucleotides.

Manipulating DNA

Separating DNA can be achieved by using gel
electrophoresis
◦ The cut DNA is put into the well at one end
(negative end – black) of the gel. DNA
molecules are negatively charged and will
travel to the positive end when current is
applied
◦ Smaller fragments travel faster; separates
DNA fragments based on size
◦ Used to create a genetic “fingerprint” or help
isolate a gene
Gel Electrophoresis
Manipulating DNA
Reading the DNA occurs by tagging some bases
while copying the DNA, the colored tags help
determine the order of bases
 Polymerase chain reaction makes copies of a
particular gene

Cell transformation

Transformation is the process of a cell taking
outside DNA and incorporating it into its own
◦ Transgenic organisms are organisms with
foreign DNA
◦ E.coli is used daily as a transgenic organism to
produce human drugs, ex. human insulin and
TPA (clot buster for heart attacks)
◦ Bacteria make great transgenic organisms
because they have a tiny circular DNA, called
a plasmid
Bacterial Transformation
Cell Transformation
Foreign DNA is joined to the plasmid, plasmid
DNA ensure that the sequence will be
replicated
◦ Plasmid also has a label (genetic marker) so
can distinguish if it has the gen
 Transforming plant cells involve using a bacteria
that inserts a small DNA plasmid into the plant
(normally causing tumors)
◦ Scientists inactivate the tumor gene, and use
the bacteria to deliver the gene of interest
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Transgenic Organisms
Plants are important transgenic organisms. In
the year 2000, 52% of soybeans, and 25% of
corn grown in the US were transgenic (or
genetically modified); most were modified for
pesticide resistance
 Animals also being used, like the cow that
makes milk with a human protein
◦ Modify mice to have immune systems to act
like humans
◦ Animals the produce more growth hormone
so they grow faster
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Transgenic Cows
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http://www.livescience.com/14538-cowshumanized-milk-safe.html
Manipulating DNA
Cloning – making a genetically identical
organism from a single cell. In 1997, Ian Wilmut
cloned, the now deceased, Dolly from the
mammary cell of a sheep
 Gene therapy – using genes to treat diseases,
such as cystic fibrosis
 Genetically modified organisms (food) – altered
so less pesticides are needed
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Dolly and Bonnie
Stem Cells
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Stem cells are unspecialized cells (not
differentiated)
◦ All body cells have all the DNA, but only use
the genes to make the proteins needed for
that cell type once it becomes specialized
◦ Types: embryonic, amniotic, adult