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Ch. 22 - Applications of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Chapter 21, Problem 14

How has the use of model organisms advanced our knowledge of the genes that control human diseases?

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Welcome back. Here's the next problem. It says the use of genetically modified organisms in the productions of production of medicines is known as and we have choices of a gene cloning. B. Gene farming with a ph C. Gene therapy and D gene sequencing. Well we can kind of if we don't remember off the top of our head, we can remember if we think about using organisms to produce something and then we think about medicines that leads us to our correct answer. Which is gene farming with ph instead of f just as we use farming of animals to produce useful things like meat and milk. In this case the pharmaceutical industry uses production of its products from animals um or other organisms. So let's just put up a quick definition of this gene farming or technical definition here. And that's the process of inserting a trans gene, a piece of new D. N. A. Into an animal's existing D. N. A. This transgenic animal will then produce a human protein that's coded for by the trans gene. And this protein can be collected and purified from the animal's milk, eggs or blood. So you kind of turn the animal into a factory for a human protein that then can be useful in medical applications. So that's our correct answer. Let's see why the other answers aren't correct choice A. Is gene cloning. And gene cloning is the process of producing millions of copies of a gene called recombinant DNA technology. So not just human proteins but any sort of any sort of gene product that you want to harvest it's usually done in bacteria or yeast cells, turning them into little factories to turn out whatever particular product is of interest. So that's why Choice A. Is not our answer though. It's of course related gene cloning, recombinant DNA technology led to this. Gene farming industry. Choice C. Is gene therapy and gene therapy would be that process of replacing a faulty gene or inserting a good gene to cure or treat genetic diseases. So not what we're looking for here. So not our answer. And finally, we have gene sequencing and this is the process by which you can identify the exact nucleotide sequence of a gene, but again, not what we're looking for in our problem. So, Choice D. Is not our answer. So, again, the use of genetically modified organisms in the production of medicines is known as choice B. Gene farming. See you in the next video.