Glossary

 

Name	Definition
Biotechnology	The use of genetic engineering, to manipulate living organisms or their components, to create useful commercial products (such as novel pharmaceuticals, increased nutritional value to food, pest-resistant crops or bacterial strains)
Change	A conversion from one state to another. The change in a system's state when observed at different times.
Clone	A genetically identical copy of a gene or of an organism.
Cloning	Making a genetically identical copy of DNA or of an organism.
Development	The process of applying theory to data and observations in order to improve, progress or further scientific understanding.
Differentiate	(v.) - to distinguish, to make different.
Differentiation	Process in which cells become specialized in structure and function.
Embryo	An organism in the earliest stage of development.
Embryonic	Undeveloped.
Fertilization	Process in sexual reproduction in which male and female reproductive cells join to form a new cell.
Gamete	Sex cell.
Genetic Modification	A technology that changes the genetic material of a living organism.
Mitochondria	Site of cellular respiration.
Multipotent	Cell with limited potential to develop into many types of differentiated cells.
Mutation	A change in the base sequence of a gene or chromosome.
Nucleus	A part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction.
Pluripotent	Cells that are capable of developing into most, but not all, of the body's cell types.
Reproductive Cloning	Technology that produces genetically identical individuals.
Screening	To test or examine for the presence of something (as a disease).
Somatic cell	Body cell.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer	Moving a cell nucleus and its genetic material from one cell to another.
Stem Cell	Unspecialized cell that can give rise to one or more types of specialized cells.
Therapeutic Cloning	The production of embryonic stem cells for use in replacing or repairing damaged tissues or organs.
Totipotent	Stem cells with the potential to differentiate into any type of cell.
Transformation	Differentiation of a cell including at a molecular level.
Vegetative reproduction	A form of asexual reproduction in which offspring grow from a part of a parent plant.
Yield	The supply of a product.
Zygote	Fertilized egg.

Breeding

 

Selective breeding

• Different breeds are usually the result of selective breeding.
• Selective breeding is when animal breeders choose an animal for its desirable characteristics and mate it with another animal (which also has desirable characteristics).
• Even though breeds look different they are all the same species (example all the cats are the same bread despite looking different)
• You can selectively breed plants to You can select visible characteristics like size or invisible characteristics like frost resistance.
• When you selectively breed plants to make new types they are called varieties instead of breeds

Desirable characteristics:

 

Dogs with good characteristics are bred together to produce purebred whippets.

Example Whippets (racing dogs) with good characteristics are bred together to create purebred whippets.

 

Purebred:

Purebred animal are often inbred, there for some people argue selective breeding is bad for dogs and causes chronic disability/problems for the dogs. Many dog breeds have inherited diseases caused by repeated selective breeding.

chronic breathing problems	joint and bone problems

Crosse breading:

Animal breeders can cross different breeds to produce animals with characteristics of both breeds.

 

This is often done to improve yield. This way a farmer can improve the amount of milk and meat from the offspring that the new breed produces.

 

Cloning

A clone is a genetically identical copy of a cell or organism. Lots of organisms reproduce via cloning, This is called asexual reproduction (this is what plants do.)

Identical twins are natural clones, they are formed when an embryo splits in two.

Clones can be made artificially.

Therapeutic cloning	reproductive cloning
Therapeutic cloning is the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer to replace or repairing damaged tissues or organs. After a few day

1. The nucleus is removed from a somatic cell and the rest of it is discarded.
2. Nucleus from an egg cell is also removed.
3. The nucleus from the somatic cell is inserted into the egg cell.
4. Somatic cell nucleus is reprogrammed by the egg cell.
5. The egg receives a tiny electric shock.
6. The egg begins to divide.
7. An embryo is formed.

 

Therapeutic cloning	reproductive cloning
Therapeutic cloning is the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer to replace or repairing damaged tissues or organs. Therapeutic cloning occurs when cloned embryos created through SCNT are allowed to grow for a few days and then killed for their stem cells.	Reproductive cloning occurs when a copy of another organism  is created through SCNT, it is allowed to grow up to 14 days in a petri dish, and then transplanted into a womb to grow until birth. Reproductive cloning involves creating an animal that is genetically identical to a donor organism through somatic cell nuclear transfer.

 

therapeutic cloning benefits:

 

• benefit of therapeutic cloning is that the cells removed are pluripotent. Pluripotent Cells can give rise to all cells in the body with the exception of the embryo. This means that pluripotent cells can potentially treat diseases in any body organ or tissue by replacing damaged and dysfunctional cells.
• Organs would have an exact match of the patient's DNA. When organs are made out of a patient's own cell, doctors do not have to worry about organ or tissue rejection by the immune system of the patient.
• Allows for researchers to test cures for certain diseases, such as, Parkinson's and diabetes.
• Stops the wait time for organs and patients than do not risk losing their life while waiting for an organ.

 

Pros and cons to reproductive cloning:

 

• Reproductive cloning could aid in genetic research.
• reproductive cloning helps people fulfill their dreams of having children.

 

Cons of reproductive cloning:

 

• Reproductive cloning creates a lack of diversity within the human population.
• Reproductive cloning is interfering with nature.
• woman could be  forced to give their eggs.

Genetic modification

• Because the genetic code is universal, genes can be transferred from one species to another
• Genetically modified foods, GM foods or genetically engineered foods, are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering as opposed to traditional cross breeding.

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