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Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary EducationSSLC (English Medium) Class 10
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Syllabus

Genetic Engineering

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Topics

Estimated time: 10 minutes
CISCE: Class 12

Introduction

  • Genetic engineering is the deliberate manipulation and transfer of genes from one organism into another.
  • This process creates a new, modified DNA structure known as recombinant DNA (rDNA).
  • The term "recombinant" is used because it involves joining DNA from two completely different sources.
  • Due to this process, genetic engineering is also widely known as recombinant DNA technology.
CISCE: Class 12

Purpose and Scientific Uses

  • It allows scientists to modify specific genes, change their physical structure, or alter their biological effects and expressions.
  • It serves as a key foundational element in the process of cloning.
  • It is utilised to study the function of specific DNA fragments and carefully analyse how life processes are regulated by genes.
CISCE: Class

The Underlying Principle

  • This technology is highly successful because the fundamental genetic code is similar across all species.
  • Because of this universal code, structural genes, promoters, or enhancer DNA sequences can be extracted from one organism and successfully incorporated into an entirely different organism (whether bacteria, plant, or animal).
CISCE: Class 12

Major Medical and Agricultural Applications

  1. Human Insulin: Safely produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria by linking the human insulin gene to the β-galactosidase promoter region of the E. coli.
  2. Human Growth Hormone: Mass-produced in cow's milk by combining the structural gene for human growth with the promoter sequence of the cow's casein gene.
  3. Bioluminescent Plants: A transgenic tobacco plant was created containing the luciferase gene from a firefly, causing the plant to actually blink in the dark.
  4. Genetically Modified (GM) Foods: Plants are artificially introduced to new genes to give them desirable traits, such as disease and pest resistance or improved nutritional value.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Genetic Engineering

  • Genetic engineering, also known as recombinant DNA technology, involves manipulating and transferring genes from one organism to another to create a new DNA structure.
  • This technology is highly effective because the fundamental genetic code is similar across all living species, allowing genes to be successfully shared and expressed.
  • Scientists utilise these techniques to study how genes function, understand how life processes are regulated, and clone specific DNA fragments.
  • In medicine, it has allowed for the mass production of vital compounds, such as producing human insulin using bacteria or human growth hormone in cow's milk.
  • In agriculture, it is used to create genetically modified foods that possess highly desirable traits, such as improved nutritional value and enhanced resistance to pests and diseases.
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