Pick up 3 handout from back. Draw this on the back side of the handout called Concepts of biotechnology. After you have read and highlighted important information from the reading, see if you cann identify a-f.
a. Wanted or desired genes d. Plasmid or cloning vector b. Restriction enzymes e. Recombinant DNA c. Sticky ends f. Transgenic organism
What is the Human Genome Project? Begun formally in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15 years, but rapid technological advances accelerated the completion date to 2003.
Project goals identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer Is a technique for cloning. There are 2 types: Reproductive cloning: where another person is made. Therapeutic cloning: where the stem cells created are used for treatments for spinal cord injuries, leukemia, organ transplant etc. Step 1: The nucleus of a somatic cell is removed and kept (WHY?) Remember there are 2 types of cells (somatic and gametes). Somatic cells have the correct number of chromosomes. 46.
Steps of Somatic cell nuclear transfer continued Get a host's egg cell. Remove and discard the egg s nucleus (WHY?). Egg cells or gametes have half the number of chromosomes. 23 instead of 46
Now we have one somatic cell nucleus and an empty (or deprogrammed) egg cell. The somatic nucleus is then inserted into the egg cell. The egg, now containing the somatic cell's nucleus, is stimulated with a shock and will begin to divide. After many mitotic divisions, this single cell forms a blastocyst (an early stage embryo with about 100 cells) with almost identical DNA to the original organism. These first cells are called stem cells.
What to do with the stem cells? If the stem cells are placed into a uterus of a female, that female will grow a baby or a clone of the original owner of the somatic cell. This is reproductive cloning. The baby will have the same DNA as the owner of the somatic cell. If the stem cells continue to grow in a Petri dish, those stems cell can be used for therapeutic purposes. These cells will never become a person because its growing in a Petri dish.
Limitations 1. Stress is placed on both the egg cell and the introduced nucleus are enormous, leading to a high loss in resulting cells. 2. For example, Dolly the sheep was born after 277 eggs were used for SCNT, which created 29 viable embryos. Only three of these embryos survived until birth, and only one survived to adulthood 3. The procedure currently cannot be automated, and has to be performed manually under a microscope. The biochemistry involved in reprogramming the differentiated somatic cell nucleus and activating the recipient egg is also far from understood. 4. In SCNT, not all of the donor cell's genetic information is transferred, as the donor cell's mitochondria that contain their own mitochondrial DNA are left behind. 5. The resulting hybrid cells retain those mitochondrial structures which originally belonged to the egg. As a consequence, clones such as Dolly that are born from SCNT are not perfect copies of the donor of the nucleus.
Gel electrophoresis
Helath pros about GM foods Make food more nutritious, contain medicines, Cross breeding mixes all genes, opts for more mutations. GM- know exactly the result of the used gene Add/delete genes that cause allergies 30 years of science/research Lab testing 1000X dosage on mice no effect 3 agencies that regulate GM products Workers are not exposed to pesticides Humans not ingesting pesticides Substantial equivalence compare GM and non-gm they are molecularly (chemically) identical.
Health cons on GM food Introducing allergies and don t know the effect. Because GM not labeled, how do we know what made us sick? Results of mice maybe different than in humans Dosage may have an effect/no effect Outside factors may lead to different outcomes (not controlled) evolution
Environmental Pros on GM foods More crops able to feed more people to compensate for increase in population Less pesticide use, killer specific not killing all organisms when pesticide is sprayed Less pesticide use, better for soil and water (seepage, run off)
Environmental cons about GM foods Create super pests/weeds. Eventually become immune and would need to spray pesticide again Disrupts food chains and food webs Long term evolutionary outcome evolution - changing genes too quickly could affect the outcome later down the line. Evolution is a slow process. Cross pollination can ruin organic farmers crops
Economic pros on GM Foods Helps to prevent end of food industry Save company money (avoid spending on pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer) Less dying, increase crops, increase profit Increase in crops, cheaper for the consumer (us).
Economic cons about GM foods Organic farmer sell more to make profit Big farmers can afford GM crops, increase product, increase profit small farmer could go out of business Because cheaper for consumer, small farmer needs to sell more for less to make a profit. Small farmers depend on big company for seed
Feed the world pros Farmers can provide for family, produce healthier crops Create healthier food Crops are designed specifically for the environment in which they grow. Crops will then be healthier, plentiful, and resilient.
Feed the world cons The amount of food is not the problem it s the distribution of food. GM food still wouldn t be distributed equally. Poor farmers can t afford GM seeds No agencies to regulate food safety Over population