Summary Biotechnology and genetically modified organisms

biotechnology and genetically
modi ed organisms
Biotechnology: use of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) to produce
useful products.
- been used for centuries
- modern biotechnology uses genetic engineering to manipulate or later the
genetic material in organisms to produce new or better products or to
improve organism in some way
- an organ that has altered genetic material called a genetically modified (GM)
organism
- GM organised gained one or more genes by artificial means and also known
as transgenic organism


Genetically modified bacteria and viruses
- healthy allele of a gene can be ‘cut’ from chromosome of healthy organism by
using enzymes
- can be combined with DNA from bacterium or virus
- combined DNA called recombinant DNA
- recombinant DNA: DNA that has been created artificially and contains DNA
from two different sources
- recombinant DNA can now produce missing substance or be placed back into
human cell where it can start producing missing substance


e.g. insulin: how recombinant DNA used to help diabetics





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