DNA Technology: Bioethics, Gene
Therapy, Transgenic Organisms and
Cloning
SB2 f
Examine the use of DNA technology in forensics, medicine,
and agriculture.
Activator
•Answer the following question
on your index card:
•Does the government have a
right to control scientific
research if it will eventually
save lives?
Bioethics
The idea of whether an a scientific
act is morally responsible.
Your mother has been diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease. She is okay now but you
know that eventually she will forget everyone
and everything. Her doctor offers her the
opportunity to participate in an experimental
process. Do you…
• A. Take the risk and participate in the
process knowing that it may or may not
work
• B. Say no and cherish the time that you have
Gene Therapy
• Gene therapy
• is the fixing abnormal genes that cause disease by replacing then
with normal genes.
• Possible cures for:
•
•
•
•
•
•
diabetes
cardiovascular disease
cystic fibrosis
Alzheimer's
Parkinson’s
and many other diseases is possible.
If scientist can replace damaged
organs, should it matter where
they come from?
Genetic Engineering
•
The manipulation or modification of genes.
Photo of a mouse
growing a "human ear"
Genetically modified organisms are
called transgenic organisms.
TRANSGENIC ANIMALS
Mice – used to study
human immune system
Chickens – more resistant to
infections
Cows – increase milk supply
and leaner meat
Goats, sheep and pigs –
produce human proteins
in their milk
Transgenic Goat
Human DNA in a
Goat Cell
This goat contains a human
gene that codes for a blood
clotting agent.
. The blood
clotting agent can be harvested
in the goat’s milk. This could
help heal people with
hemophilia.
What if you had a twin that
didn’t come from your mother?
Cloning
• What is it?
• Cloning is the creation
of an organism that is
an exact genetic copy
http://learn.genetics.utah.ed
of another. This
u/content/tech/cloning/whati
means that every
scloning/twinning.html
single bit of DNA is
the same between
the two!
• This process is
nonsexual and done
in a laboratory
situation.
Dolly: A Mammal Clone
•
In 1997, Dolly was
the first mammal to
be cloned. She was
cloned by Scottish
scientists, Ian
Wilmut, at the Roslin
Institute.
If you could make a copy of anything
in the world what would it be?
THE MISSION
• Mr. Medder’s is feeling extremely generous today and has decided
to give the Science department the money to allow all biology
students the opportunity to clone anything in the world they would
like.
• The catch is you only have 15 mins to do it. You must create your
clone and explain why you chose to clone that particular item.
• If you can convince Ms. Wimbush that your clone is meaningful she
will allow you to keep it. If you fail your original and the clone will be
confiscated and never returned to you. Good Luck, your mission
begins now!
Bioethics
The idea of whether an a scientific act is
morally responsible.
•Does the government have
a right to tell you that you
can not save your child’s life
by saving their cord blood?
• Summarizer: Take an index
card and tell me your
opinion on the issue.