5.1.2
Genetic Engineering
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Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering involves modifying (changing) an organism’s genome by introducing a gene from another organism to produce a desired characteristic. Examples of this are:

Insulin-producing gene
- The gene that produces insulin can be inserted into bacteria. Those bacteria can then mass-produce insulin to treat people with diabetes.

Vitamin A rice
- A lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness.
- A lot of communities that were lacking in vitamin A were found to use rice as the core of their diet.
- Therefore, a gene that produced vitamin A was taken from bacteria and added to rice, producing rice (golden rice) that was rich in Vitamin A.
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering happens like this:

Cut the gene out
- Enzymes are used to “cut” a desired gene out of a chromosome.

Cut a vector
- The same enzyme is used to “cut” a vector. The Vector is usually a bacterial plasmid (loop of DNA) or virus.

Gene inserted
- The vector is used to insert the gene into the required cells.

Delivering gene
- If the gene is delivered into cells before they have differentiated (at the egg or embryo stage), all cells in the developed organism will have the gene and show the characteristic.
1Principles of Science I
1.1Structure & Bonding
1.1.1Atomic Model1.1.2Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals1.1.3Ionic Bonding1.1.4Representing Ionic Bonds1.1.5Covalent Bonding1.1.6Representing Covalent Bonds1.1.7Metallic Bonding1.1.8Intermolecular Forces1.1.9Intermolecular Forces 21.1.10End of Topic Test - Bonding1.1.11Relative Masses1.1.12The Mole1.1.13Molar Calculations1.1.14Molar Calculations 21.1.15Empirical & Molecular Formulae1.1.16Balanced Equations1.1.17Percentage Yield1.1.18End of Topic Test - Amount of Substance
1.2Properties of Substances
1.2.1The Periodic Table1.2.2Ionisation Energy1.2.3Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies1.2.4Trends of Ionisation1.2.5Trends in the Periodic Table1.2.6Polarity1.2.7Metals & Non-Metals1.2.8Alkali Metals1.2.9Alkaline Earth Metals1.2.10Reactivity of Alkaline Earth Metals1.2.11Redox1.2.12Transition Metals1.2.13Redox Reactions of Transition Metals
1.3Cell Structure & Function
1.4Cell Specialisation
1.5Tissue Structure & Function
1.5.1Human Gas Exchange1.5.2Blood Vessels1.5.3Atherosclerosis1.5.4Skeletal Muscle1.5.5Slow & Fast Twitch Fibres1.5.6Neurones1.5.7Speed of Transmission1.5.8Action Potentials1.5.9End of Topic Test - Neurones & Action Potentials1.5.10Synapses1.5.11Types of Synapse1.5.12Medical Application1.5.13End of Topic Test - Synapses1.5.14Chemical Brain Imbalances1.5.15Effect of Drugs on the Brain
1.6Working with Waves
1.7Waves in Communication
2Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques
3Science Investigation Skills
3.1Scientific Processes
3.2Data Handling & Analysis
3.3Enzymes in Action
3.4Diffusion
3.5Plants & Their Environment
3.6Energy Content in Fuels
4Principles of Science II
4.1Extracting Elements
4.2Relating Properties to use of Substances
4.3Organic Chemistry
4.4Energy Changes in Industry
4.5The Circulatory System
4.5.1The Circulatory System4.5.2Blood Vessels4.5.3Blood Transfusion & the ABO Rhesus System4.5.4The Heart4.5.5The Cardiac Cycle4.5.6Cardiac Output4.5.7Coordination of Heart Action4.5.8Heart Dissection4.5.9Controlling Heart Rate4.5.10Electrocardiograms4.5.11Cardiovascular Disease4.5.12Investigating Heart Rates
4.6Ventilation & Gas Exchange
4.7Urinary System
4.9Thermal Physics
4.9.1Power & Efficiency4.9.2Work & Energy4.9.3Conservation of Energy4.9.4Pressure4.9.5First Law of Thermodynamics4.9.6Second Law of Thermodynamics4.9.7Heat Engines, Heat Pumps & Refrigerators4.9.8Non-Flow Processes4.9.9p-V Diagrams4.9.10Ideal Gases4.9.11Ideal Gases 24.9.12Thermal Energy Transfer4.9.13Thermal Energy Transfer Experiments
4.10Materials
5Contemporary Issues in Science
5.1Contemporary Issues in Science
5.2Analysing Scientific Information
Jump to other topics
1Principles of Science I
1.1Structure & Bonding
1.1.1Atomic Model1.1.2Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals1.1.3Ionic Bonding1.1.4Representing Ionic Bonds1.1.5Covalent Bonding1.1.6Representing Covalent Bonds1.1.7Metallic Bonding1.1.8Intermolecular Forces1.1.9Intermolecular Forces 21.1.10End of Topic Test - Bonding1.1.11Relative Masses1.1.12The Mole1.1.13Molar Calculations1.1.14Molar Calculations 21.1.15Empirical & Molecular Formulae1.1.16Balanced Equations1.1.17Percentage Yield1.1.18End of Topic Test - Amount of Substance
1.2Properties of Substances
1.2.1The Periodic Table1.2.2Ionisation Energy1.2.3Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies1.2.4Trends of Ionisation1.2.5Trends in the Periodic Table1.2.6Polarity1.2.7Metals & Non-Metals1.2.8Alkali Metals1.2.9Alkaline Earth Metals1.2.10Reactivity of Alkaline Earth Metals1.2.11Redox1.2.12Transition Metals1.2.13Redox Reactions of Transition Metals
1.3Cell Structure & Function
1.4Cell Specialisation
1.5Tissue Structure & Function
1.5.1Human Gas Exchange1.5.2Blood Vessels1.5.3Atherosclerosis1.5.4Skeletal Muscle1.5.5Slow & Fast Twitch Fibres1.5.6Neurones1.5.7Speed of Transmission1.5.8Action Potentials1.5.9End of Topic Test - Neurones & Action Potentials1.5.10Synapses1.5.11Types of Synapse1.5.12Medical Application1.5.13End of Topic Test - Synapses1.5.14Chemical Brain Imbalances1.5.15Effect of Drugs on the Brain
1.6Working with Waves
1.7Waves in Communication
2Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques
3Science Investigation Skills
3.1Scientific Processes
3.2Data Handling & Analysis
3.3Enzymes in Action
3.4Diffusion
3.5Plants & Their Environment
3.6Energy Content in Fuels
4Principles of Science II
4.1Extracting Elements
4.2Relating Properties to use of Substances
4.3Organic Chemistry
4.4Energy Changes in Industry
4.5The Circulatory System
4.5.1The Circulatory System4.5.2Blood Vessels4.5.3Blood Transfusion & the ABO Rhesus System4.5.4The Heart4.5.5The Cardiac Cycle4.5.6Cardiac Output4.5.7Coordination of Heart Action4.5.8Heart Dissection4.5.9Controlling Heart Rate4.5.10Electrocardiograms4.5.11Cardiovascular Disease4.5.12Investigating Heart Rates
4.6Ventilation & Gas Exchange
4.7Urinary System
4.9Thermal Physics
4.9.1Power & Efficiency4.9.2Work & Energy4.9.3Conservation of Energy4.9.4Pressure4.9.5First Law of Thermodynamics4.9.6Second Law of Thermodynamics4.9.7Heat Engines, Heat Pumps & Refrigerators4.9.8Non-Flow Processes4.9.9p-V Diagrams4.9.10Ideal Gases4.9.11Ideal Gases 24.9.12Thermal Energy Transfer4.9.13Thermal Energy Transfer Experiments
4.10Materials
5Contemporary Issues in Science
5.1Contemporary Issues in Science
5.2Analysing Scientific Information
Practice questions on Genetic Engineering
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Genetic engineering does NOT involve:Multiple choice
- 2Genetic engineering involves:True / false
- 3Examples of genetic engineering:Fill in the list
- 4
- 5What is NOT "cut" by the enzyme used in genetic engineering?Multiple choice
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