Advantage or disadvantage?
Consequence of genetic engineering
Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly
involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to
manipulate the laws and course of nature.
Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that
are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing
for the inevitable.
Animals and plants can be 'tailor made' to show desirable
characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for
example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global
warming.
Infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code
for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.
Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of
many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that
introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible
effect with consequences yet unknown.
Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce
more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and
implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of
wheat plants to grow insulin for example.
Advantage
Disadvantage
Objectives
State two examples of the current
uses of genetically modified
crops or animals.
Discuss the potential benefits
and possible harmful effects of
one example of genetic
modification.
Outcomes
3: Describe the processes involved
in transferring a gene from one
organism to another.
5: Explain examples of where
genetic engineering has been used
successfully.
7: Evaluate problems and benefits
related to genetic engineering.
Key terms: genetic engineering, modification, recombinant.
Task
In groups using the information
create a sheet to help you
explain around that topic. It can
have no more than 15 words but
as many diagrams as you like.
Outcomes
3: Describe the processes involved
in transferring a gene from one
organism to another.
5: Explain examples of where
genetic engineering has been used
successfully.
7: Evaluate problems and benefits
related to genetic engineering.
Key terms: genetic engineering, modification, recombinant.
Task
One person stay with your
information the others go to
another group. You have 2
minutes to explain about your
topic.
Outcomes
3: Describe the processes involved
in transferring a gene from one
organism to another.
5: Explain examples of where
genetic engineering has been used
successfully.
7: Evaluate problems and benefits
related to genetic engineering.
Key terms: genetic engineering, modification, recombinant.
As a group answer the following questions:
1. What are the fears about genetic engineering?
2. What is recombinant DNA technology?
3. What is often used to produce useful human proteins?
4. How have aedes aegypti mosquitoes been modified?
5. What is a GMO?
6. Why is genetic engineering useful?
7. What are two benefits and problems related to GM crops?
8. What are the potential benefits to be gained from the genetically modified
mosquitos?
9. What are the problems people have with using food and products from cloned
animals?
10. Who controls the sale of food in the UK?
Key terms: genetic engineering, modification, recombinant.
GMOs
• Genetically modified organisms are organisms
whose genomes incorporate and express
genes from other organisms.
• These transgenic individuals have had a
suitable vector used to insert a desired foreign
gene into the fertilized egg or early embryo of
the host
GMOs examples
•
•
•
•
Salt tolerant tomato plants
Golden rice
Herbicide resistant crop plants
Factor IX (human blood clotting factor) in
sheep milk
GM crops
Crops can be given extra genes for new and useful characteristics. They are genetically
modified (GM).
What characteristics might be useful in
crops?
 pest resistance
 frost resistance
 disease resistance
 herbicide resistance
 drought resistance
 longer shelf life
Pest-resistant crops
Potatoes can be genetically modified so they are toxic to pests, such as the Colorado
beetle.
The gene for a powerful bacterial
toxin is added to the potato plant.
If the beetle tries to eat the
potato plant, it is killed by the
toxin.
What benefits might this have for the environment?
Frost-resistant
crops
Crops can be genetically modified so they are resistant to adverse environmental
conditions.
For example, lettuces could be
genetically modified to be resistant
to frost.
GM lettuce
Why are some people against the development and use of GM crops?
non-GM
lettuce
Plants with extra vitamins
Rice can be genetically modified to make beta-carotene, a substance that is
converted into vitamin A in the body.
The colour of the rice is an
indication of how much more
beta-carotene it contains.
The GM rice is called ‘Golden
Rice’ and is being developed to
help fight vitamin A deficiency and
blindness in developing countries.
Joint probability curves that compare the likelihood of exposure of monarch larvae to events
176 or Bt11 corn pollen with the percent of larvae demonstrating inhibition of growth.
Mark K. Sears et al. PNAS 2001;98:11937-11942
©2001 by National Academy of Sciences
Should GM crops be allowed?
• Is it moral or ethical to change the genetic the
genetic integrity of a species by transferring
genes to it from another species?
• What about the wider question of selective
breeding of animals? Is this distinctively
different and always acceptable?
• Is it possible that GM animals might suffer?