Genetic Engineering

Notes for February 8, 2006

 

Genetic engineering- scientists’ manipulation of DNA by cutting, separating and splicing together DNA sequences in any order.  This allows scientists to engineer a set of genetic changes directly into an organism’s DNA.

 

Types of Breeding Methods:

• Selection- process of choosing organisms with the most desirable traits for mating
• Inbreeding- mating of closely related individuals to obtain desired characteristics
• Hybridization- when individuals who are not closely related are mated to introduce new beneficial alleles into the population

 

Types of genetic engineering:

• Isolating a gene
• Making recombinant DNA
• DNA insertion
• DNA sequencing

 

Steps to do genetic engineering:

1)      cut the DNA containing the desired gene away from the genes surrounding it

2)      Find a way to combine that gene with a piece of DNA from the recipient organism

3)      Insert the combined DNA into the new organism

4)      You would need to be able to read the sequences of bases in order to analyze the genes you are manipulating