Showing posts with label Cloning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cloning. Show all posts

Friday, 17 May 2013

5.20 evaluate the potential for using cloned transgenic animals, for example to produce commercial quantities of human antibodies or organs for transplantation.

Transgenic animals are ones that have had genes from other animals put in their DNA.
Animals can be given the gene to make human antibodies. These can then be injected into humans to help them face an infection- instead of waiting a long time for their body to find the correct antibody and then replicate it.
Sheep and goats have been made to produce human proteins in their milk: this makes milk more beneficial to humans.
Animals could be made with organs that are similar enough to humans that they could be transplanted: this would mean there was never a shortage; it would also mean less moral questions are asked (then using human organs.)

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

5.19 describe the stages in the production of cloned mammals involving the introduction of a diploid nucleus from a mature cell into an enucleated egg cell, illustrated by Dolly the sheep

A egg cell with the nucleus removed has the DNA of another cell put in (this will be have a complete set of chromosones (diploid number of)). The embryo that forms will then have DNA from only one parent: the one the DNA was taken from. This means it will be a clone! for example dolly the sheep.

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5.18 understand how micropropagation can be used to produce commercial quantities of identical plants (clones) with desirable characteristics

In micropropagation, plant clippings are taken and put in a growth medium. They will develop into a new plant with the same DNA. This means that every plant made from the clippings of one plant will be clones with exactly the same characteristics. If many clippings are taken then you will have many clones.

5.17 describe the process of micropropagation (tissue culture) in which small pieces of plants (explants) are grown in vitro using nutrient media

Plant clippings are taken and placed in a sterile growth medium. Roots will develop from the clipping (and shoots) making a whole new plant. The plant will then be transferred into compost and grown as a normal plant.
The plant is a clone of the one is was taken from because it has the same DNA. This means that there will be no variation, so you can have the same plant every time.