Cell
“The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life.”
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu
Cloning
“Cloning is the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another. This means that every single bit of DNA is the same between the two! You might not believe it, but there are human clones among us right now. They weren’t made in a lab, though: they’re identical twins, created naturally. Below, we’ll see how natural identical twins relate to modern cloning technologies.”
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/whatiscloning/
Designer Baby
“The colloquial term “designer baby” refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilisation to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics. The term is derived by comparison with “designer clothing“. It implies the ultimate commodification of children and is therefore usually used pejoratively to signal opposition to such use of reprogenetics.”
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designer_baby
DNA
“DNA is made of four simple building blocks, yet it contains all of the information necessary to build an organism. Segments of DNA called genes contain specific instructions that make each individual unique.”
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/index.html
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu
Genes
“A gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism. All living things depend on genes. Genes hold the information to build and maintain an organism’s cells and pass genetic traits to offspring. A modern working definition of a gene is ‘a locatable region of genomic sequence, corresponding to a unit of inheritance, which is associated with regulatory regions, transcribed regions, and or other functional sequence regions ‘.
In cells, a gene is a portion of DNA that contains both “coding” sequences that determine what the gene does, and “non-coding” sequences that determine when the gene is active (expressed). When a gene is active, the coding and non-coding sequences are copied in a process called transcription, producing an RNA copy of the gene’s information.”
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu
source: http://learn.genetics.utah.ed
Genetically Modified Food
“Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering, using a process of either Cisgenesis or Transgenesis. These techniques are much more precise than mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding (plant breeding and animal breeding), and somaclonal variation.
GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. But animal products have also been developed. In 2006 a pig was controversially engineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids through the expression of a roundworm gene produced.Researchers have also developed a genetically-modified breed of pigs that are able to absorb plant phosphorus more efficiently, and as a consequence the phosphorus content of their manure is reduced by as much as 60%.”source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
Genetic Modified Organism (GMO)
“A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. Some GMOs contain no DNA from other species and are therefore not transgenic but cisgenic.”
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism
Transplantation
“An organ transplant is the moving of an organ from one body to another, or from a donor site on the patient’s own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient’s damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of Regenerative medicine may soon allow organs to be re-grown from the patient’s own cells (stem cells, or cells extracted from the failing organs.)
Organs that can be transplanted are the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and skin. Tissues include bones, tendons, cornea, heart valves, veins, and arms. Worldwide, the kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs.”
