Transcript Genetics and Our Lives

Genetics and Our Lives
How has the study of genetics
affected us? What does the future of
genetics hold?
Some human health problems are due to genetic
disorders
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Cystic fibrosis
Sickle-cell anemia
Hemophilia
Down syndrome
Spina bifida
Over one hundred others that are known
Advances in Genetics
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Breeding and hybridization of plants and animals.
DNA fingerprinting.
Cloning of plants and animals.
Genetic engineering (aka “gene splicing”).
Cloning
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Clones are genetically
identical.
Plants clone easily
(cuttings), but animal cells
are much more difficult.
Dolly the sheep (first
mammal cloned).
Identical twins are the
only human clones.
How to clone a sheep: The making of Dolly (1996-2003)
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Egg taken from a sheep.
Nucleus removed and
replaced with a nucleus of a
mammary cell from a
different sheep.
Egg then implanted into a
third sheep’s uterus.
Six months later, Dolly is
born.
So who is the mother?
Who is the daughter?
Why was she called Dolly?
Genetic Engineering
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Selected genes are
transferred from one
organism to another.
Sometimes called “gene
splicing”.
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Can improve food crops.
To make medicines.
Cure human genetic
disorders (aka gene
therapy).
Considered controversial by
some.
Who are we to play God?