Introduction to Genetics

Introduction to Advances in Genetics

This is a picture of ancient corn and its modern counterpart

Introduction

After the development of agriculture and the domestication of certain animals, humans realized they could get offspring with desirable characteristics by choosing parents with the traits they wanted. This practice is believed to have started 10,000 years ago!

Selective Breeding

The process of selecting organisms with desired traits to be the the parents of the next generation. Another term for selective breeding is artificial selection.

There are two kinds of selective breeding

• Inbreeding - parents that are chosen have very similar characteristics (breeding two golden retrievers)

• Hybridization - the parents that are chosen have different characteristics and the hope is to get offspring with the best characteristics of both parents

Inbreeding

Hybridization

Labrador + Poodle = Labradoodle

Multiple Choice

All dogs, no matter what breed, are the same species.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

The process of selecting organisms with desired traits to be the parents of the next generation is

• cloning

• selective breeding

• genetic engineering

Multiple Choice

Selective breeding is a relatively new practice that humans have used.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Selective breeding probably began as far back as

• 100 years ago

• 1000 years ago

• 10,000 years ago

Multiple Choice

Another name for selective breeding is

• natural selection

• artificial selection

Multiple Choice

A form of selective breeding in which the parents have very similar characteristics is

• inbreeding

• hybridization

Multiple Choice

A form of selective breeding in which the parents have different characteristics is

• inbreeding

• hybridization

The discovery of DNA has changed how we can get desirable traits in organisms.

Cloning

Cloning refers to producing an organism that is genetically identical to the organism from which it was produced.

Dolly the sheep

She was the first clone made from an adult mammal.

Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering or gene splicing is the process by which DNA from one organism is transferred to the DNA of another organism. The organisms do not even have to be closely related. Human insulin, growth hormone and blood clotting factors have been produced by using genetic engineering practices to insert human DNA into bacterial DNA.

Bacteria are used to produce human insulin to treat those with diabetes.

Importance of Cloning and Genetic Engineering

Cloning and genetic engineering are different than the selective breeding of the past because they usually must be conducted in a laboratory. Usually, these techniques are used in the medical field to treat diseases, to improve food production, or to save endangered species of organisms. In the next few days we will learn more about cloning and genetic engineering.

Multiple Choice

Cloning refers to producing an organism that is ___________ to the organism from which it is produced.

• genetically similar

• genetically identical

• genetically different

Multiple Choice

Genetic engineering refers to transferring the DNA of one organism into the DNA of another organism.

• true

• false

Multiple Select

What are some products that have been produced using genetic engineering?

• Tylenol

• insulin

• growth hormone

• cough syrup

• blood clotting factors

One last thing.........

The advances in the field of genetics have lead to the creation of the Covid-19 which uses a new type of technology based on messenger RNA which travels from DNA to ribosomes to produce a specific protein chain to cause an immune response. No part of the virus is actually used in the vaccine!!!!!