Genetic engineering is a branch of molecular biology that allows manipulation of an organism's genome. Common practices include eliminating harmful genes, introducing healthy genes, and modifying genes. The process involves isolating the gene of interest using restriction enzymes, inserting the gene into a cloning vector like a bacterial plasmid, locating host cells containing the gene, and cloning those cells to produce the gene product. For example, the human insulin gene can be cloned into bacteria to produce insulin in large quantities at low cost for treatment of diabetes.

1. The process of genetic engineering in
detail
Genetic
Genetic Is a branch of Molecular Biology that allows us to manipulate
Engineering
Engineering the genome of a living being.
(GE)
(GE)
Common practices
Common practices
1. Eliminating harmful genes
Purposes of GE
Purposes of GE 2. Introducing healthy genes
3. Modifying genes Recombinant DNA
(rDNA)
• Diabetic people Have a faulty gene that encodes
for the protein insulin
Allows cloning
a specific gene
• Past: The patients would get insulin originating from human
corpses or other animals injected into their system
This means that insulin can
be produced in large
• Present: We can clone the gene of the human insulin in bacteria.
quantities at a much lower
cost.

2. Prior concepts before explaining the
steps
Restriction enzymes or
Restriction enzymes or Enzymes that can be found in bacteria
endonuclease (EnRes)
endonuclease (EnRes)
• Purpose: to destroy the DNA of the virus that try to parasitize them by cutting the DNA
• They cut the double helix of DNA at particular base sequences called palindromic sequences
• Every single EnRes cuts a specific palindromic sequence
A sequence of
A sequence of Palindrome if it is equal to its complementary sequence
double helix DNA
double helix DNA read backwards
• A palindrome is usually found in proteins and is formed by 6 to 12 pairs of bases.

3. Prior concepts before explaining the
steps II
Plasmid
Plasmid Piece of circular, double stranded DNA that is independent of the genome.
They occur naturally in bacteria. They are also extracted easily and are therefore useful in
genes.
Four main steps through which genetic engineering is
accomplished
1. Location and isolation of the genes of interest
Obtaining the portion of DNA which contains the gene that we want to transfer is accomplished
by the use of gene-splicing techniques.
2. Insertion of the genes into a cloning vector
A vehicle for transferring genetic material into a cell. The cloning vector is a bacteria plasmid.
Gene cloning.

4. Four main steps through which genetic engineering is
accomplished (II)
3. Localizing the descendants of the host cell
They contain the genes of interest, and detection of the colony that contains the gene of interest.
We can locate the correct colony containing the insulin by using a biochemical test that detects
the presence of insulin and its corresponding bacteria.
4. Cloning
Finally, we collect these bacteria and grow
them in a culture medium.
Complete process of
genetic engineering