The Importance of
Improved Genetics
Topic #3031
By: Rick Sokol
(some materials gathered from www.agednet.com)
Biotechnology In Agriscience
• New forms of plants and animals
• Improved plant and animal life processes
• Improved quality and kind of foods
Genetics
• Traits parents pass to their offspring.
• Variability: the difference between animals within
the same species.
• Dominant Traits: always show up in the offspring.
• Recessive Traits: can be covered up by other traits.
• A dominant trait in cattle is polled cattle.
Recessive is red cattle.
Double Helix
• Two strands of DNA, twisted, forming a
spiral structure.
• Genetic Code: information allowing an
organism to function.
• Mutations: changes in genes and
chromosomes; can be genetic and physical.
– Larger fruits
Genetic Engineering
• DNA of two different organisms may be
combined.
• “Rung” structure allows for segments of
DNA to be cut out and new ones inserted.
• E. coli bacteria are most often used as
carriers of new DNA (vectors) into the cell.
Ways Genetic
Engineering Benefits
• Herbicide, Insect, and
Disease -Resistant
Plants
• Transgenic Animals
• Frost Protection
• Longer Storage Life
• New Animal Products
Greater Fertility
• SUPEROVULATION
– Inject cow with hormone
• gonadotropin
– Cow releases 8-20 eggs during estrus
• instead of normally only releasing one egg
• EMBYRO TRANSFER
– Flush embryos from dam seven days after fertilization
– Place into another female recipient to carry to term
More Production
• Milk Hormones
– Inject BST to cows
– Increased milk production
• Meat Hormones
– Use PST on hogs
– Produce more muscle
• Growth Implants
– Insert a small pellet under the skin of animals
– Promotes growth
More Production cont.
• Ammoniating Hay
– Treat low quality hay with ammonia
– Increase protein content and digestibility
• Controlled Feeding
– Cattle fitted with sensors
– Allows the animal to eat its’ specific feed ration
Aquaculture
• SPAWNING
– Inject female fish with gonadotropin
– Induce spawning
• HATCHING
– Regulate water movement, temperature and oxygen
level
– Artificially hatch eggs
• SEX CHANGES
– Some species don’t grow well when males and females
are left together; scientists developed a way of
changing the sex of newly-hatched fry.
Marketing Strategies
• Food products are produced in different
shapes and forms to encourage people to
buy them.
• Miniature vegetables: baby corn and carrots
• The round carrot can be sold for a higher
price; the nutritional value is the same.
Predicting the Future
• PLANT GROWTH CHAMBERS
– Studies the effects of environmental changes on plants
• COMPUTER SIMULATIONS
– Cropping models and erosion
• OTHER EXAMPLES
– Using growth regulators
– Forcing plants
– Using wastes as feed
Issues Concerning The Public
Regarding Biotechnology
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Uncertainty
Dangers in new life forms
Keep organisms “natural”
Unhealthy food
Labeling
Ethics of joining plants and animals
Lack of information