Genetic engineering | Genetics | Biology | FuseSchool

Summary

This video script delves into the world of genetic engineering, showcasing its applications in producing human insulin. It explains how microorganisms, such as E. coli and yeast strains, are genetically modified to manufacture insulin, a crucial protein for diabetics. The script outlines the process of genetic engineering, from extracting genes with restriction enzymes to inserting them into plasmids, creating transgenic organisms. It highlights how these bacteria, now containing recombinant DNA, reproduce asexually in fermenters, producing large quantities of human insulin. The result is a revolution in insulin therapy, moving from animal-derived insulin to a more efficient and humane method.

Takeaways

• 💉 In the past, diabetics had to rely on injections of cow or pig insulin, which was not ideal.
• 🌱 Today's insulin for diabetics is human insulin, produced by microorganisms like E. coli bacteria and certain yeast strains.
• 🧬 Genetic engineering is the manipulation of an organism's DNA to change its genetic makeup.
• 🔬 A gene is a segment of DNA that codes for a specific protein, and genetic engineering involves transferring a gene from a donor to a recipient organism.
• 🔄 The recipient organism, after genetic modification, is called a transgenic or genetically modified organism (GMO).
• 🏭 Genetic engineering serves two main purposes: producing large volumes of specific proteins and giving organisms new advantageous traits.
• 🐝 An example of genetic engineering is introducing a gene from one organism to another, like making a plant insect-resistant by incorporating a bacterium's toxic gene.
• 🧬 The process of genetic engineering involves using restriction enzymes to cut and join DNA from different sources.
• 🔬 Plasmids, small circular DNA strands in bacteria, are used as vectors to insert foreign genes into bacterial cells.
• 🛠️ The modified plasmid with the desired gene is reinserted into the bacterium, creating a genetically modified organism with recombinant DNA.
• 📈 Bacteria reproduce asexually in a controlled environment, ensuring all offspring are clones with the recombinant DNA, allowing for mass production of the desired protein.
• 💊 The genetically engineered bacteria are used as 'mini factories' to produce human insulin, which is then extracted, purified, and made available for medical use.

Q & A

What was the initial method of obtaining insulin for diabetics?

Initially, diabetics had to inject insulin derived from cows or pigs into their bodies.

How is insulin produced today for diabetics?

Today, insulin is produced by microorganisms such as the E. coli bacterium and certain strains of yeast through genetic engineering.

What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering is the manipulation or changing of the DNA of an organism, which involves removing a gene from one organism (the donor) and transferring it to another (the recipient).

What are the two basic purposes of genetic engineering mentioned in the script?

The two basic purposes are to produce large volumes of a particular protein, such as insulin, growth hormone, or vaccines, and to give an organism an advantage it does not naturally have, such as making a plant toxic to certain insects.

What is a transgenic organism?

A transgenic organism, also known as a genetically modified organism, is one that has had a gene from a different organism introduced into it.

How is the insulin gene located in the human body?

The insulin gene is found on chromosome 11 at position 15.5.

What are restriction enzymes and what is their role in genetic engineering?

Restriction enzymes are special enzymes used to cut DNA at specific sequences. They are used to cut the insulin gene from the human chromosome and to cut open a plasmid to insert the gene.

What is a plasmid and how is it used in genetic engineering?

A plasmid is a small, circular strand of DNA found in bacteria. It is extracted from the bacterium, cut open with restriction enzymes, and used to join the insulin gene, forming recombinant DNA.

What is the role of ligase in the genetic engineering process?

Ligase is an enzyme used to complete the joining of the insulin gene to the plasmid by sealing the DNA strands together.

How are the genetically modified bacteria used to produce human insulin?

The modified bacteria, which contain recombinant DNA, are placed in a fermenter that allows for rapid asexual reproduction. The bacteria express the human insulin gene, producing human insulin that can be extracted and used by diabetics.

What is the significance of the fermenter in the production of human insulin?

The fermenter provides an environment for the genetically modified bacteria to reproduce asexually, ensuring that all offspring are clones of the original transgenic bacterium with the ability to produce human insulin.

Outlines

00:00

💉 Evolution of Insulin Production

This paragraph discusses the historical shift from using animal-derived insulin to the current method of producing human insulin through genetic engineering. It explains how microorganisms, such as E. coli and yeast strains, are utilized to create human insulin by altering their genetic makeup. The paragraph introduces the concept of genetic engineering as the manipulation of an organism's DNA to produce desired proteins, such as insulin, growth hormones, or vaccines, and highlights the two main purposes of this technology: large-scale protein production and the creation of organisms with advantageous traits, like insect-resistant crops.

🧬 The Basics of Genetic Engineering

This section delves into the fundamental principles of genetic engineering, describing it as the process of altering an organism's DNA by removing a gene from a donor and transferring it to a recipient, resulting in a genetically modified or transgenic organism. It explains the role of genes in coding for proteins necessary for an organism's survival and how genetic engineering can be used to confer new advantages to organisms, such as resistance to pests in the case of genetically modified crops. The paragraph also outlines the initial steps in the genetic engineering process, focusing on the extraction and insertion of the human insulin gene into a bacterium.

🔬 The Process of Insulin Gene Transfer

This paragraph provides a detailed account of how the human insulin gene is transferred into a bacterium to enable the production of human insulin. It describes the use of restriction enzymes to cut the insulin gene from human chromosome 11 and a plasmid from the bacterium. The process of joining the insulin gene to the plasmid using complementary base pairing and the enzyme ligase is explained. The modified plasmid is then reintroduced into the bacterium, creating a genetically modified organism with recombinant DNA. The paragraph concludes with the description of how these bacteria are cultured in a fermenter to reproduce asexually, ensuring all offspring contain the human insulin gene, leading to the production of human insulin on a large scale.

Keywords

💡Diabetics

Diabetics are individuals suffering from diabetes, a chronic condition affecting the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. In the context of the video, diabetics require insulin to manage their condition, historically injecting insulin derived from animals, but now using human insulin produced through genetic engineering.

💡Insulin

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. It is essential for diabetics, who lack sufficient insulin production. The video discusses the evolution from using animal-derived insulin to human insulin, which is now synthesized using genetically engineered microorganisms.

💡Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is the scientific process of altering an organism's DNA to produce desired traits or substances. The video explains how this technology is used to create microorganisms that can produce human insulin, a significant advancement for the treatment of diabetes.

💡Microorganisms

Microorganisms, such as E. coli bacteria and yeast strains mentioned in the video, are used in genetic engineering to serve as 'mini factories' for producing substances like human insulin. They are genetically modified to carry and express the human insulin gene.

💡Transgenic Organism

A transgenic organism is one that has had foreign genetic material inserted into its genome. In the script, the term is used to describe microorganisms that have been engineered to contain and express the human insulin gene, making them capable of producing human insulin.

💡Restriction Enzymes

Restriction enzymes are proteins that cut DNA at specific recognition sites. In the context of the video, these enzymes are used to cut the human insulin gene from the chromosome and to open the plasmid in the bacteria, allowing for the insertion of the gene.

💡Plasmids

Plasmids are small, circular DNA molecules found in bacteria that can replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA. The video describes how a plasmid is extracted from a bacterium, modified to include the human insulin gene, and then reintroduced into the bacterium to create a genetically modified organism.

💡Ligase

Ligase is an enzyme that facilitates the joining of DNA strands together. In the video, ligase is used to complete the process of attaching the human insulin gene to the bacterial plasmid, creating recombinant DNA.

💡Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA refers to DNA that has been artificially combined from two or more sources, forming a new combination that would not typically occur in nature. The video explains that the modified bacterium contains recombinant DNA, which includes both bacterial and human DNA sequences.

💡Fermenter

A fermenter is a vessel used for the large-scale growth of microorganisms. In the video, it is described as the environment where the genetically modified bacteria reproduce asexually, producing large amounts of human insulin.

💡Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The video uses the example of a bacterium engineered to produce human insulin, illustrating the application of GMOs in medicine.

Highlights

Historically, diabetics had to inject animal insulin, which was not ideal.

Today, human insulin is produced through genetic engineering using microorganisms like E. coli and yeast.

Genetic engineering is the manipulation of an organism's DNA to change its genetic makeup.

Genes code for proteins essential for an organism's survival.

Genetic engineering involves transferring a gene from a donor to a recipient organism.

Transgenic or genetically modified organisms are created as a result of genetic engineering.

Two main purposes of genetic engineering are large-scale protein production and organism enhancement.

Transgenic microorganisms are used to produce large volumes of proteins like insulin, growth hormone, or vaccines.

Genetic modification can give organisms advantages they do not naturally possess, such as insect resistance in plants.

The process of transferring genetic characteristics involves cutting and joining DNA from different sources.

Restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA at specific sequences.

Plasmids, small circular DNA strands in bacteria, are used as vectors for gene insertion.

Ligase enzymes join the inserted gene to the plasmid, creating recombinant DNA.

The modified bacterium with recombinant DNA is a genetically modified organism.

Bacteria reproduce asexually in fermenters, ensuring all offspring have the same recombinant DNA.

The genetically modified bacteria act as mini factories, producing human insulin.

The insulin produced by these bacteria is extracted, purified, and packaged for human use.

Genetic engineering has made it possible for humans to inject themselves with human insulin.

Transcripts

[Music]

many years ago diabetics who needed

insulin to survive had to inject cow or

pig insulin into their bodies this was

not ideal for many reasons

today the insulin that diabetics inject

is human insulin and it is produced by

micro organisms such as the e coli

bacterium and certain strains of yeast

but how do these micro organisms produce

human insulin genetic engineering

scientists are able to turn certain

microorganisms into mini factories that

make useful substances that improve our

health the environment and the economy

but what is genetic engineering an

organism's DNA makes up its genes which

code for all the proteins the organism

needs to survive each gene codes for a

different protein or part of a protein

genetic engineering is the manipulation

or changing of the DNA of an organism

genetic engineering involves removing a

gene from one organism which is called

the donor and transferring it to another

organism which is referred to as the

recipient the recipient is called a

transgenic organism or a genetically

modified organism there are two basic

purposes of genetic engineering

sometimes we require large volumes of a

particular protein to be made scientists

use transgenic micro organisms to

produce large volumes of this protein

for example insulin growth hormone or

vaccines

an organism bee can have a gene from a

different organism a introduced to give

it be some advantage that a has

naturally organisms like bee are called

genetically modified or transgenic

organisms for example a gene that

manufactures a toxic chemical in a

bacterium can be introduced into a maize

plant to make the plant toxic to certain

insects that would eat it such as

caterpillars let's now look at the

process of genetic engineering how do

you transfer a genetic characteristic

from one organism to another although

it's a very complex process it can be

summarized rather simply we'll use the

example of how the insulin gene is

inserted into a bacterium in order to

manufacture large amounts of human

insulin the gene that codes for human

insulin is found on chromosome 11 at

position 15 point 5 the insulin gene is

cut from chromosome 11

using special enzymes called restriction

enzymes bacteria possesses small

circular strands of DNA floating in

their cytoplasm these strands of DNA are

called plasmids a plasmid is extracted

from the bacterium cell the plasmid is

cut open using the same restriction

enzymes that were used to cut the

insulin gene from the human chromosome

the restriction enzymes leave sticky

ends where one of the two DNA strands is

slightly longer than the other because

the same restriction enzyme was used to

cut both the human DNA and the bacterial

plasmid the sticky ends are

complementary and will allow for joining

using complementary base pairing the

insulin gene is joined to the plasmid by

the sticky ends an enzyme called ligase

is used to complete the joining of the

two pieces of DNA the modified plasmid

is then reinserted into the bacterial

cell the modified bacterium is a

genetically modified or transgenic

organism because it contains some human

DNA along with its own bacterial DNA its

bacterial DNA is called recombinant DNA

bacterial DNA Rican

lined with human DNA the bacterial cell

is placed in a fermenter which allows

for rapid asexual reproduction in ideal

conditions with the optimal temperature

pH and lots of food because the bacteria

reproduce asexually the offspring are

all clones of the original transgenic

bacterium they all have identical

recombinant DNA the bacteria expressed

their own genes in order to survive in

other words they make their normal

bacterial proteins but they also Express

the human insulin gene and make human

insulin the fermenter has become a

culture of mini factories all producing

human insulin the insulin is then

extracted purified and packaged humans

can now inject themselves with human

insulin and that is how genetic

engineering works if you liked the video

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