chapter 11 Flashcards
What is embryo cloning?
Splitting cells apart from a developing embryo to produce several identical embryos.
This process occurs before the cells become specialized.
What is nuclear transfer?
Transferring a body cell into an egg and then stimulating cell division to produce an embryo.
This technique allows for the creation of clones from differentiated cells.
What are cuttings in the context of cloning?
Taking a small piece of stem and growing it in the right conditions to produce a new plant.
This method is commonly used in horticulture.
What is tissue cloning?
Getting a few cells from a desirable plant to make a big mass of identical cells, each of which can produce a tiny identical plant.
This technique allows for mass production of genetically identical plants.
What is asexual reproduction?
Reproduction that involves only one parent, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.
This is a natural method of cloning.
Who was the first vertebrate clone?
A frog.
The nucleus of a body cell was taken from an adult frog and placed in an egg cell.
Who was the first cloned mammal?
Dolly the sheep.
Dolly was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh in 1996.
How was Dolly the sheep cloned?
A cell from the donor animal was taken from a mammary gland and put in the egg of another sheep, which was then placed into a surrogate mother.
This process demonstrated that a cell from a specific part of the body could recreate a whole individual.
What are some benefits of cloning?
- Providing new babies for infertile couples
- Producing new organs for transplant that won’t be rejected
- Helping ensure the survival of endangered species
- Bringing back extinct animals
- Producing useful proteins in milk to treat diseases
- Producing medically useful animals
- Producing prize agricultural animals
- Pet cloning
These benefits highlight the potential applications of cloning in various fields.
What are potential problems associated with cloning?
- Many embryos were miscarried before Dolly was produced
- A large number of embryos are destroyed in this technology
- Religious or ethical beliefs state that it is wrong to interfere with nature
- Many believe it is wrong to destroy or tamper with embryos
- The method reduces genetic variation
These concerns highlight the ethical and practical challenges of cloning.
True or False: Many embryos are destroyed in cloning technology.
True.
This raises ethical concerns about the treatment of embryos in the cloning process.
What is the ethical concern regarding the reduction of genetic variation in cloning?
The method reduces genetic variation, which can impact the resilience of populations.
Genetic diversity is crucial for the adaptability and survival of species.
What does genetic modification involve?
The transfer of a gene from one organism into another
How are genes removed and inserted in genetic modification?
Using special enzymes
What is a vector in the context of genetic modification?
A means to transfer genes from one organism to another
What are plasmids?
Small circles of DNA found in bacteria
Why are plasmids used as vectors?
They can easily be removed from bacteria
What is the first step in the process of inserting the insulin gene?
Removing the insulin gene from human DNA using a restriction enzyme
What is done to the plasmid DNA to prepare it for the insulin gene?
A piece of DNA is removed using the same restriction enzyme
What enzyme is used to join the insulin gene to the plasmid?
DNA ligase enzyme
What is the role of the plasmid in this process?
It serves as the vector that puts the insulin gene into the bacterium
What happens to the recombinant plasmids and bacteria after incubation?
They reproduce in a fermenter
What is the final product obtained from the bacteria containing the insulin gene?
Insulin, which is extracted and purified for diabetes treatment
Fill in the blank: The insulin gene is inserted into a _______.
plasmid
