This document discusses biotechnology and genetic engineering. It provides examples of how biotechnology is used in forensics, agriculture, and genetic engineering. Genetic engineering involves transferring genes between organisms, such as placing human genes in bacteria. The document also discusses applications of genetic engineering like creating pest-resistant and herbicide-resistant crops through biotechnology techniques.

1. BIOTECHNOLOGY
AND GENETIC
ENGINEERING

2. What is biotechnology?
 Examples?
 What are their uses?

3.  A forensic scientist makes copies of DNA
from a crime scene.

4.  A botanist breeds flowers for their bright red
blooms.

5.  A geneticist works to place a human gene
into the DNA of a bacteria.
 Have you heard about transgenic organisms?

6. Biotechnology is...
 The use and application of living things and
biological processes.
 New technologies have allowed scientists to
directly change DNA.

7.  Is it something new?

8.  Biotechnology is not a new field. For thousands
of years humans have been doing it.

9. Research
 What is fermentation?
 Are different types of fermentations?
 What are their uses?
 Link: http://www.argenbio.org/index.php

10. Some applications
 What techniques are used to improve crops
and livestock?

12.  Humans are interfering with the natural flow
of genetic material from one generation to
the next one
ARTIFICIAL SELECTION

13. Making organisms useful to
humans..
 Variation occurs naturlly and randomly in all
living organisms

14. Genetic Engineering
 Transfer of genes from one organism to
another species.

15.  Restriction enzymes: cut the DNA in specific
sites. Present in bacteria.
 They can be used to cut out a sequence of DNA
that includes a gene.

16. Applications: GM crops
 Genetically modified plants which are
resistant to herbicides and insect pests.

17. Pest resistance
 There is a bacteria that produces a toxin
which kills insects.
 The gene for the toxin has been successfully
introduces into some plant species.

19.  Disadvantages?

20.  Insects are developing immunity to the toxin.

21. Herbicide resistance
 Ex: glyphosate: kill any green plant.
 These cannot be used on crops because they
kill the crop plant!

22.  A gene can be introduced ito a plant.

23.  What is the problem with this?

24. Other applications
Examples:
 A gene for an enzyme that enables the plant to
extract more iron from the soil can be
transferred to rice.
 A gene that increases vitamin A in plants.
 It is possible to improve the protein, mineral or
vitamin content of the food.

25. Gene Therapy
 The purpose is to effect a cure by using
recombinant DNA.
 It is directed towards hereditary diseases.
 Hereditary diseases result from the
inheritance of a defective gene.
 If a normal gene could be introduced
permanently into the affected cells, the
disease would be cured.