Benefits, Risks and Ethics of Genetic Engineering Revision Notes | GCSE OCR Foundation Biology

What this lesson covers

Evaluate the potential benefits and risks of genetic engineering in agriculture and medicine. Examine concerns about GM crops' effects on wildlife and h...

• Explain the potential benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture and medicine
• Evaluate the risks and concerns associated with genetically modified crops and organisms
• Compare different ethical perspectives on genetic engineering applications
• Apply knowledge of genetic engineering to assess real-world scenarios and case studies

Key ideas to keep in view

Use this lesson to stay inside B6.2 Feeding the human race while connecting the detail back to the wider B6: Global challenges topic.

• B6: Global challenges
• B6.2 Feeding the human race
• GCSE OCR Foundation Biology

Lesson notes preview

Read the core explanations from Benefits, Risks and Ethics of Genetic Engineering before testing yourself from memory.

• 1. The Promise and Peril of Genetic Engineering
• Scientists can now cut and paste genes between completely different species - inserting jellyfish genes into bacteria to make them glow, or human insulin genes into bacteria to mass-produce medicine. This power to rewrite the genetic code of life brings incredible opportunities, but also raises serious questions abo...
• The process of artificially modifying an organism's DNA by inserting genes from another species to produce desired characteristics. Also called genetic modification (GM).
• The technique works by using enzymes to cut specific genes from one organism and insert them into another. The modified organism then produces the protein coded by the new gene, giving it new abilities it never had naturally.
• Genetic engineering has revolutionised medicine by allowing mass production of human proteins that were previously impossible to obtain. Before genetic engineering, diabetics relied on insulin extracted from pig and cow pancreases - a limited and sometimes allergenic supply.
• Now, human insulin genes are inserted into bacteria like E. coli. These modified bacteria become living factories, producing pure human insulin identical to what your pancreas makes. The bacteria multiply rapidly in fermentation tanks, creating unlimited supplies of life-saving medicine.
• Other medical breakthroughs include human growth hormone for treating dwarfism, clotting factors for haemophiliacs, and vaccines produced in genetically modified yeast. These medicines are purer, safer, and more abundant than traditional alternatives.
• 3. Feeding the World - Benefits in Agriculture
• GM crops tackle three major agricultural challenges: pests, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies. Bt corn contains genes from soil bacteria that produce a protein toxic to insect larvae but harmless to humans. This built-in pesticide reduces crop losses and chemical spraying.
• Golden Rice addresses vitamin A deficiency, which causes blindness in 250,000 children annually. Scientists inserted genes from daffodils and bacteria to make rice produce beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor), giving the grains a golden colour.

Continue through the topic

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