Applications of Genetic Engineering

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Applications of Genetic Engineering
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Now that we have the technology
What can we do with it? Using this technology, we
have found ways to create genetically-modified
individuals In other words, we can create
organisms that contain genes for desirable traits
that were taken from other organisms. . . We can
even take this one step further and clone whole
individuals, not just specific genes Organisms
whose genes have been modified by adding the
traits of another organism are called transgenic
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Transgenic Bacteria
We can create bacteria with the genes for certain
human traits Since bacteria multiply quickly and
have little DNA, it is very easy to make
transgenic bacteria So far, we have large
stockpiles of bacteria with genes that make --
the hormone insulin, which can be given to
diabetics -- human growth hormone, which can be
given to other organisms to make them grow
faster -- blood clotting factor, which can be
made easily and given to hemophiliacs
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Transgenic Plants
Transgenic plants have many applications -- we
can make plants that are resistant to disease --
we can also make plants with natural
insecticides -- we can even make plants that can
survive certain herbicides, allowing farmers to
use chemical weed- killer Currently, 52 of U.S.
soybeans and 25 of U.S. corn plants are
transgenic There are problems with transgenic
plants, however -- if the transgenic plant
becomes vulnerable to a certain disease or pest,
the whole species could be lost
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Transgenic Animals
Transgenic animals have many purposes -- mice
have had their genes altered to behave like
human immune systems, allowing scientists to
study the affects of disease -- chickens are
given human growth hormone to make them grow
very large very fast -- KFC uses many of these
Superchickens
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Cloning
Cloning is different than making transgenic
organisms because instead, we splice the whole
genome from one individual into the egg of another