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Q: What are they?
A: Animals or plants who have had the
DNA of other plants or animals introduced
into them by scientists.
This is ANDi, a baby rhesus
monkey whose fingernails glow
in the dark due to the jellyfish
DNA inserted into him.
Recombinant DNA (rDNA) - DNA combined from two
sources.
Vector - means by which DNA enters host cell
Restriction enzyme - cuts/cleaves the plasmid DNA at
Specific sites (palindromes).
DNA ligase - an enzyme that bonds DNA sticky ends
together.
Bacteriophage - a virus that infects bacteria
Polymerase Chain Reaction - uses DNA polymerase to
make many copies (amplify) DNA.
GMO - Genetically Modified Organism
Step 1: Isolate and replicate the DNA to be injected.
Step 2: Insert the gene into a plasmid that can reproduce
inside a bacteria.
Step 3: Insert the plasmid into the bacteria.
Step 4: As the bacteria grow in the lab, they make more
and more plasmids.
Step 5: Extract the plasmids and modify the DNA as
necessary.
Step 6: Allow fertilized eggs of whatever critter is
getting the DNA to absorb the modified DNA.
PLANTS
ANIMALS
 Lower farm
 Better food production
 Characteristics can be
production costs
( plants resistant to
given to animals that
pests/ diseases)
mimic human diseases and
 Enhance product
will help scientists
quality ( increased
understand them
appearance, nutrition,  Possible transplantation of
and physical
genetically modified
characteristics)
animal organs into humans
There is much controversy over the topic of
transgenics, and the argument is in many ways the
same as other topics in biotechnology
Here is why different groups of opposition are
speaking against transgenics:
• Religious Leaders - “playing God”
• Animal Rights Activists - “exploiting the animal”
• “unnatural and violates the laws of nature”
• There are also ecological and food-safety issues
What is a GMO?
A living organism that has been genetically
engineered by the insertion of a foreign
gene
Where are GMO’s being produced?
In industrialized parts of the world, mainly
North America and Western Europe
Why are additudes about GMO’s different
around the world?
90% of people that live in North America
trust the USDA, whereas in Britain the
regulatory agencies are treated with
suspicion. There is good reason for this,
considering outbreaks such as the mad cow
disease.
Will humans be able to glow in the dark?
If a human has an animal part inserted into
them how will that affect the rest of the
person?
Are there any laws restricting the research of
transgenics?
• Transgenics can be used to cure disease
-materials (such as antibiotics and
insulin) can be produced by
animals containing genes for
enhanced production
Transgenics also can lead to better foods
-can create “Super Plants” which
grow extreamly fast and
are resistant to pests
-nutrition value can be improved
in both meat and plants
• The Norwegian Reference Center for Laboratory Animal
Science & Alternatives.
12/16/2001.<oslovet.veths.no/transgenics/refrences.html>
• Stanford University.
12/17/2001.<www.stanford.edu/~sjaiswal/ethics.html>
• AGRIFOR 12/18/2001
<http://agrifor.ac.uk/browse/cabi/detail/667c3358a0a76b7d
8ae41c3cfe0779f5.html>
AG Biotech Net.12/19/2001.
<agbiotechnet.com/nabc/nabc8/8763_117
.pdf>
NewScientist 12/20/2001.
<www.newscientist.com/weblinks/catego
ries/biotech1.jsp>
The Big Blue Website 12/21/2001
<eden.ceh.uvic.ca/resource.htm>
Way2Goal 12/22/2001
<way2goal.com/transgen.html>