Treatment that involves introducing changed genetic into a
person's cell to fight sickness.
First the gene with the fault that causes the disease must be identified. Then the location of the affected cell must be
pinpointed. The healthy version of the gene must be available, and then that gene must be delivered to the body.
In Vivo
To insert a gene to the cell, a carrier or vector must be used. The vector is
inserted into the cell, and then it releases its genetic material. No cells are
removed from the body.
Ex Vivo
Cells from the patient are removed and exposed to a virus carrying the desired
gene. The gene now becomes part of the DNA and the cell is returned to the
patients body.
Gene therapy has been tested for different applications
Cancer gene therapy
Prevent or cure Alzheimer
Cure Asthma
Transgenics
Organisms with altered genoma are called transgenic. Foreign DNA is introduced into an organism's genoma.
Transgenic organisms have been developed for research and commercial uses.
Research
The study of "knock-out" genes.
Commercial
Production of golden rice,
genetically modified corn, blue
roses.
This is done through experimental
hamlets or early embryos
Cloning
Organisms with exact genetic are clones.
Naturally
When egg and sperm join they create an embryo.
When the embryo splits in two, Identical twins are formed. Each half of the embryo keeps dividing on
its own developing at last as two completely separated individuals. Both developed from the same fertilized egg.
Artificially
Artificial Embryo Twinning
Mimics the natural process of creating twins, but the process occurs in a Petri dish.
A very early embryo is separated into individual cells, and then in the Petri dished they can divide and
develop. After that the embryos are placed in the mother where they completely develop.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
First you need to isolate a somatic cell (any cell in the body besides the germ cells), then remove the nucleus of an egg cell for
the DNA. After that, transfer the nucleus of the somatic cell to the egg cell. The egg cell with the new nucleus will act as a
fertilized egg, and it would be inserted to a mother so that the embryo can develop.
Examples
Dolly the sheep
Identical twins
Gene cloning is making exact copies of a single gene of an organism.
Paternity
Paternity tests can help determine who the father of your child is.
First DNA has to be collected from the possible father and
the child, so that it can be later examined.
Criminology
It is the scientific study of crimes
DNA is a type of evidence in crimes. It is used to identify individuals involved in the
crime, linking two crimes.
Now a days, DNA can help in crimes by making
profiles of potential criminals, then the profile is
compared with the evidence in the crime scene.