The Concept Building

  Applications of Genetic Technology Genetic engineering is used by scientists to enhance or modify the characteristics of an individual organism. It can be applied to any organism, from a virus to a sheep. For example , genetic engineering can be used to produce plants that have a higher nutritional value or can tolerate exposure to herbicides. Food security : The Green Revolution succeeded in tripling the food supply but yet it was not enough to feed the growing human population. Use of genetically modified crops is a possible solution.  The understanding of genetics could enable farmers to obtain maximum yield from their fields and to minimise the use of fertilisers and chemicals so that their harmful effects on the environment. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) : Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). GM plants have been useful in many ways: It makes crops more tolerant to abioti...

  Process of Genetic Engineering It is the process of altering the DNA in an organism’s genome. It refers to the direct manipulation of the organism’s characteristics in a particular way. It involves changing one base pair (A-T or C-G), deleting a whole region of DNA, or introducing an additional copy of a gene.  It also involves extracting DNA from another organism’s genome and combining it with the DNA of that individual. Recombinant DNA Technology  It is the joining together of DNA molecules from two different species. The recombined DNA molecule is inserted into a host organism to produce new genetic combinations that are of value to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry.  The focus of all genetics is the gene, the fundamental goal of laboratory geneticists is to isolate , characterize , and manipulate genes . The technology is based primarily on two other technologies, cloning and DNA sequencing . Cloning   Cloning is the process of generating a g...

  Background The term 'genetic engineering' was first coined by Jack Williamson in his science fiction novel Dragon's Island, published in 1951. The double-helix structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules is confirmed by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. In 1972 Paul Berg used restriction enzymes and DNA ligases to create the first recombinant DNA molecules.  The process of transferring genes from one organism to another, was first accomplished by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen in 1973. The first genetically modified organism to be created was a bacterium, in 1973. In 1974, the same techniques were applied to mice. In 1994 the first genetically modified foods were made available. Key Terminology Gene Technology It is the application of the gene technique called genetic engineering, it includes self-cloning and deletion as well as cell hybridization. Genetic Engineering It is a technique by which heritable material, which does not usually occur or will n...