SC.912.L.16.10 Biotechnology
You need to understand how biotechnology impacts individuals, society, and/or the environment. You will be given scenarios with specific examples and asked to determine the impact.
TUTORIALS
Impact of Biotechnology
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Mechanism of Recombination
EOC Practice Questions
Biotechnology is the application of a technological process, invention, or method to living organisms. All forms of biotechnology make use of living organisms to do a job or provide a service
The main uses of biotechnology are
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To improve human health
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Food production
Genetic engineering is the transfer of genes or pieces of DNA from one organism into another.
Recombinant DNA molecules contain DNA from two different sources. Recombinant-DNA technology can change the genetic composition of living organisms.
This picture shows how bacteria can be transformed using recombinant plasmids.
Scientists can insert a piece DNA into a plasmid if both the plasmid and the target DNA have been cut by the same restriction enzyme. With this method bacteria can be used to produce:
Human Growth Hormone to replace missing hormone in short stature people
Insulin for treatment of patient with diabetes
Blood clotting factor VIII and IX for patients with Hemophilia
Vaccines to prevent infectious disease such as Hepatitis B, influenza, Meningitis
Genetic engineering has also been used to improve crop plants such as rice and corn.
Plants may be genetically engineered to grow larger or faster, or to resist insects, diseases or spoilage.
Genes can be added so a crop has more vitamins, more nutritious.
Crops may be higher yielding with results in more and less expensive food.
Higher yields crops reduce the amount of land and energy needed for agriculture.
Insect-resistant GM plants require no insecticides, so fewer chemical residues enter the environment.
Growing GM crops requires less energy resources than growing traditional crops.
Which of the following is the most likely way in which biotechnology could be employed to keep rice harvests from declining?
If world climate continues changing as scientists predict, biotechnology could be used to genetically modify rice to grow well in warmer climates.
Some people are worried about these crops being used for human food. Scientists don't know the long-term effects of eating GM foods.
Allergic reactions is another concern
Genetically modified animals may produce more milk, have leaner meat
Transgenic salmon grow rapidly in captivity
Genetic Engineering and The Environment
Genetic engineering has potential risks as well as benefits
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Genetic engineered is used to create plants that make their own pesticides, but if these crops are planted too widely or in the wrong place can harm beneficial insects
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Genetically engineered crops are resistant to weed killers, but if the pollen from these crops fertilize wild plants it could result in larger populations of weeds that are difficult to kill.
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Genetically engineered crops can reduce genetic variation. The scientists who are genetically engineering crops often create a single variety with a desired trait. If all the farmers plant those seeds, they may grow more wheat or more nourishing rice. However, they may also increase the risk of losing an entire crop to a disease.
Selective Breeding is the intentional breeding of plants or animals. Humans choose organisms with wanted characteristics
Genetic engineering of crops is similar to the more traditional practice of artificial selection of crop varieties because both methods result in a crop that has some desirable characteristics
DNA fingerprinting analyzes sections of DNA that may have little or no function but that vary from one individual to another.
DNA fingerprinting is used in forensics—the scientific study of crime-scene evidence— to identify criminals.
It is also used to identify the biological father when paternity is in question.
Cloning is the artificial production of a cell or organism that is genetically identical to the parent cell or organism. Use of a single cell from an adult organism to grow an entirely new individual identical to the donor
Researches hope to use cloning to increase the population of endangered species.
Cloning together with recombinant DNA to produce products that are medically or commercially valuable. Recombinant DNA could be used to make goats whose milk contains valuable proteins. The goats could then be cloned.
Stem Cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to develop into a wide variety of cells
Researches have been investigating ways to use stem cells to replace cells that have been damaged by injury or disease and can no longer regenerate.
Possible applications: spinal cord injuries, heart disease, etc
Sources of stem cells
1. Embryonic tissue: Embryos contain cells that are non- differentiated and can turn into any type of cell in the body. These cells could be used to create new tissues for people
2. Adult Tissue
Gene therapy is the process of changing a gene to treat a disorder. However, gene therapy is still an experimental and high-risk technique.
The Human Genome Project was a 13-year international effort to sequence all 3 billion base pairs in human DNA and identify all human genes. Genes were mapped and described. The project was completed in 2003.
The Human Genome Project identified genes associated with many diseases and disorders.
The main benefit of mapping the human genome is the ability to easily identify genetically-based diseases
The main goals of the Human Genome Project were to sequence the base pairs of DNA and identify all human genes. Other goals included sequencing genomes of model organisms, developing technology for research, exploring gene functions, studying variation in humans, and training future scientists
Precise information about variations within the human genome help doctors know which drugs or treatments work best on specific genotypes and would help pinpoint treatments more quickly
A genetic test examines a patient’s DNA to determine whether that patient carries a gene associated with a given disease.
More than 1000 genetic tests are available to determine whether patients carry genes associated with diseases from breast cancer to the degenerative neurological disorder known as Huntington’s disease. Example some forms of breast cancer have been linked to a gene mutation.
Patients undergo genetic testing to find out whether a disease can be prevented, to begin early treatment, to find the best medicine or dose of a medicine, to make more appropriate decisions
Many people are concerned that testing positive for an untreatable genetic disease could lead to employment discrimination, denial of medical insurance, or other types of discrimination
In 2007, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was signed into law in the United States. It prohibits discrimination based on genetic information. For example, a person cannot be denied health insurance because they carry alleles for an inherited disease.
Example of ethical misuse of the information in the human genome, insurance companies refusing to insure a person based on information they required about the person's genome indicating a high risk for a certain disease
Biotechnology-based tests and filters for drinking water are being developed to help purify the water and minimize the risk of contracting water-borne diseases, such as cholera.
Many life-threatening diseases such as cholera and dysentery are transmitted from person to person through contaminated drinking water.
Genetic Engineering Techniques can prevent and treat human disease
