One field in which genetic engineering has had a huge impact is the mass production of insulin to help diabetics. Scientists have isolated the gene responsible for making human proteins, including the insulin hormone. This gene is inserted into the bacterial DNA, and the microbes then clone themselves rapidly, making identical copies of themselves, all with the new gene and all capable of making human insulin. This is a cheap way of producing sufficient quantities of exactly the right hormone, for everyone who needs it.

Other applications of genetic engineering:

• Producing interferon, a human protein which stops viruses multiplying inside the body
• Producing human growth hormone to treat growth abnormalities
• Blood clotting factor to treat haemophiliacs
• Used in industry to produce enzymes for use in biological washing powder
• Producing pest resistant crop varieties
• Producing tomatoes that stay fresh much longer

Genetic engineering makes it possible to transfer genes across the species and has unlimited potential for influencing the genetic make-up of living organisms. It could potentially change not just what we do but who we are, which is why the topic of genetic engineering triggers heated moral and ethical debates.

Source: BBC GCSE Bitesize

Labels: Insulin Production, Variation and Inheritance