Recombinant DNA Technology in Biology

Running head: BIOLOGY 1
Biology
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

BIOLOGY 2
Biology
Introduction
The definition of biotechnology has been a fundamental issue across the globe. However,
the United States office of technology Assessment defines biotechnology as any technology that
makes use of the living organisms or part of the organisms to create or modify products, develop
microorganisms or improve plants and animals for specific reasons (Leonard, 2018). The term
biotechnology has been used interchangeably with genetic engineering often to explore the
applications of recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant DNA technology was initiated in
the 1970s purposely as a tool in manipulating DNA to become more powerful than before.
Therefore, this essay narrows down to discuss different concepts relating to recombinant DNA
technology.
Techniques and Applications Used in Recombinant DNA Technology
The process of Making Transgenic DNA
The process of making a transgenic DNA is a nine-step procedure. Firstly, an
identification of the gene of interest is vital. Secondly, isolation of the gene. Thirdly, the isolated
gene is amplified to produce many copies (FAO, 2017). Fourthly, the gene is linked to suitable
promoter and poly A arrangement and placed into plasmids. The plasmid is then bourgeoned and
the emulated entity preserved for injection. The construct is then shifted into the receiver tissue
(a fertilized egg). The DNA segment is then assimilated into the recipient genome before being
articulated into the recipient genome and finally undergoing an inheritance process through
further generations.
Range of uses across a board area

BIOLOGY 3
Some of the uses of the technology include:
 Development of transgenic plants which are resistant to insects, pests,
diseases and other harsh climatic conditions in agriculture
 Development of improved livestock with genetically modified
characteristics like higher milk production in the case of the transgenic
sows.
 Development of the transgenic mice which imitate human beings thus
essential for medical research and testing of drugs.
 Used in the treatment of industrial wastes
 Utilized in making proteins from industrial waste
Development of Transgenic Organisms
Agriculture
Plant (Use Case Example)
A transgenic plant is made in the laboratory by altering the genetic make-up. The
nucleus of the plant cell is targeted for the new transgenic DNA. Often, a transgenic plant is
created by adding one or more genes of a plants' genome. A typical example of a transgenic plant
is BT- Cotton which was made by introducing a toxin gene from the bacterium called Bacillus
thuringiensis into cotton plants to develop a variety which is resistant to the caterpillar
(McGinley and Littlefield, 2016). The DNA produced carries the instruction of producing a toxic
protein which kills the caterpillars by paralyzing their guts when they take it.
Animal (Use Case Example)
There are numerous methods used in developing transgenic animals. Firstly, one may
inject the anticipated DNA segment into the pronucleus of a fertilized egg of the animal.