Genetic Engineering
General Biology II
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
carried the genetic information in all
living organisms.
Genetic Engineering
The artificial manipulation,
modification, and recombination of DNA in
order to modify an organism.
Two Types of Genetic Engineering:
1. Classical breeding
2. Recombinant DNA Technology
Classical Breeding
The practice of mating or breeding
selected organisms with desirable traits.
Steps in Classical Breeding
1. Determine which trait is significant
enough to be chosen.
2. Select parents that exemplify these
traits.
3. Choose the best offspring from
parents to produce the next
generation.
4. Repeat the process.
Recombinant DNA Technology
involves using enzymes and various
laboratory techniques to manipulate and
isolate DNA segments of interest.
Modification may involve the
following:
1. Introduction of new traits into an
organism.
2. Enhancement of present trait by
increasing the expression of the
desired gene, or
3. Enhancement of a present trait by
disrupting the inhibition of the
desired gene’s expression.
Steps in Making Recombinant DNA
Technology:
1. Isolation of plasmid DNA and DNA
containing gene of interest.
● Plasmid acts as a vector and
gene of interest would act as
a passenger.
2. Cutting of cleaving of DNA and
plasmid by “restriction enzyme.”
3. Inserting of “gene of interest” into
the open plasmid by DNA ligase.
● DNA ligases finalize the
DNA repair, replication, and
recombination and play
critical role for maintaining
genome stability.
4. Insert the recombinant plasmid back
to the bacterial cell.
● Production of multiple
copies.
5. Isolation of gene copies and insertion
to other organisms to confer the
desired trait.
● Example:Plant
Two Things Necessary for Making
Recombinant DNA Technology:
1. DNA containing the “gene of
interest.”
2. Bacterial plasmid

Examples of Genetically Modified

Plants:
1. Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT
CORN)- Resistant to corn-borer
disease
2. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT
Eggplant)- Resistant to eggplant
fruit and shoot borer.
3. (Golden Rice) B – carotene (Pre-
cursor of vitamin A)

Other Application of Engineering