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genetic engineering


evilkoal

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genetic engineering –noun Genetics.

 

1. the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population.

2. a technique that produces unlimited amounts of otherwise unavailable or scarce biological product by introducing DNA isolated from animals or plants into bacteria and then harvesting the product from a bacterial colony, as human insulin produced in bacteria by the human insulin gene.

 

Or-

 

genetic engineering n.

Scientific alteration of the structure of genetic material in a living organism. It involves the production and use of recombinant DNA and has been employed to create bacteria that synthesize insulin and other human proteins.

 

Or-

 

genetic engineering

 

noun

the technology of preparing recombinant DNA in vitro by cutting up DNA molecules and splicing together fragments from more than one organism

 

 

All from dictionary.reference.com.

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as long as it occurs in nature (in any organism (like animals to animals or plants to plants)) it can be put into another creature.
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genetic engineering

 

noun

the technology of preparing recombinant DNA in vitro by cutting up DNA molecules and splicing together fragments from more than one organism

 

:wink:

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as long as it occurs in nature (in any organism (like animals to animals or plants to plants)) it can be put into another creature.
But, do you have evidence to support that assertion?
genetic engineering

 

noun

the technology of preparing recombinant DNA in vitro by cutting up DNA molecules and splicing together fragments from more than one organism

 

:wink:

... :mellow: ...

Wow...There are so many things I want to say right now, but I'm already on thin ice, so I shouldn't. First, I'll define organism, because I don't think you know what it means:

a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.

What that's saying is that individual living creatures are organism. You're an organism; I'm an organism; my cat's an organism; etc. What the previous definition is stating is taking things from one organism and putting it in another, not one class into another. That is saying that you can take DNA from...say...you and put it in...oh let's go with freddy's child, NOT taking DNA from a lizard and sticking it in freddy's child.

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as long as it occurs in nature (in any organism (like animals to animals or plants to plants)) it can be put into another creature.

 

i guess i didnt make myself clear enough...

i was saying as long as the organisms are both mammals for example it can be done. lizard to lizard, cherry tree to oak, human to gorilla.

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A lot of genetic engineering is done by transferring genes from bacteria, which is an extremely biodiverse "class of organisms," to higher-order life. An example of this is Bt corn, in which a gene from a bacterium closely related to Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax disease, is expressed in a plant in order to have that plant produce a potent insecticide---note that the article referenced shows signs of considering plant-to-plant transfer rare or unimportant in genetic engineering. An example of almost the exact opposite (IE, the transfer of a gene from a higher-order organism to a single-celled organism) can be found in the industrial production of human insulin, in which a strain of Escherichia coli is given the gene from humans responsible for insulin production. Research of both of these technologies was completed in the mid-1980s and commercial use is widespread today, with the type of insulin discussed accounting for around 70% of the market.

 

That's what most genetic engineering is: chemical production using biological processes. It isn't a looming spectre, nor is it humanity's salvation, and it most certainly isn't some Bioshock-esque wish fulfillment device. For the moment being, it's just a clever process for producing chemicals which we either can't synthesize more efficiently or else need to be made in some target organism to be effective. The potential exists for a fetus's genetic code to be changed and for human organs to be produced industrially, but those technologies are very much a ways off.

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