Life on Planet Earth Final Study Guide Final exam Tuesday May 6 12 45 3pm Genetically modified organisms GMO Examples chicken that glow in the dark or a pink chicken Corn is a classic example which started out as grass but farmers transformed the grass into this but the farmers manipulated the DNA and there was atleast 5 changes between the grass form and corn GMO genes from two different organisms are combined An organism whose natural genetic material has been altered with genetic engineering Recombinant DNA technology Takes genes from different sources and combines them into one molecule to create a new set of genes The bacteriu DNA gets inserted for desired trait then the DNA then introduced into plant cells in structure Advantages of GMO with recombinant technology Bacterial produced recombinant human insulin Has replaced insulin obtained from animal sources for the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes Recombinant blood clotting protein Transgenic organism A living organism that contains DNA from different species RoundUp is an herbicide used against crops Contains glyphosate which kills plants by stopping the synthesis of three essential amino acids which make proteins A bacteria naturally contains the gene fort a protein synthesizing enzyme not inhibited by glyphosate That gene is inserted into soybeans corn cotton etc Crops are not killed by RoundUp Herbicides can be used to kill weeds but not the soybeans BT crops BT is the BT gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis a bacterium produces a protein that binds to the gut of insect larva and kills them Gene is removed from B thuringiensis and inserted into crops corn cotton Crop expresses the bacterial gene makes the protein that is responsible for larva toxicity When larva eats the plants it dies Globally acreage of GM crops increased from around 4 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the areas of the United Kingdom 2010 GM cop acreage 365 million acres In US 90 of all soybeans cultivated in 2010 were genetically modified from 42 in 1998 and only 7 in 1996 Concerns Kills non target organisms example honey bees they want to get the insect larva not them could be one of the reasons bees are dying A laboratory study was published showing that pollen from B T corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants not corn but the fear is that if BT corn pollen is blown onto milkweed plants the caterpillars can eat the pollen and perish Bee colony deaths in brazil are linked to corn BT Herbicide resistance At least nine common weeds have developed resistance to glyphosate As a result farmers are applying even more herbicide to crops More roundup in environment Roundup herbicide is lethal to frogs and toxic to human placental and embryonic cells Roundup is used in more than 80 of all the GM crops Corporate control of the food system One company Monsanto controls the vast majority of many US crops These crops are used in most cereals vegetable oils ect very stable foods The significant corporate consolidation of global food production has created a food system that values quantity over quality Food safety is becoming a big concern Filthy conditions in factory farms Contamination Circumventing local regulations Herbicides that are banned in the USA are used on foreign crops which are then imported into the USA Increase in allergies Many children in the US and Europe have developed life threatening allegeies to peanturs and other foods There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible Organic farmers are concerned about genetic contamination concerned that crop pollen could cross pollinate their crops stem cell story youtube Stem Cell Definition A cell that has the ability to continuously divide and differentiate develop into various other kind s of cells tissues Stem Cell Characteristics Blank Cells unspecialized Capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods of time proliferation and renewal Have the potential to give rise to specialized cell types differentiation Totipotent Pluripotent Multi potent Post fertilizing Cell can form the embryo and placenta Cell can just form the embryo Can reproduce but can only make more of its own kind Fully mature function as they re supposed to function Kinds of Stem Cells 1 Totipotent a Each cell can develop into a new individual b Cells from early 1 3 days embryos 2 Pluripotent 3 Multi potent a Cells can form any over 200 cells types b Some cells of blastocyst 5 14 days a Cells differentiated but can form a number of other tissues b Fetal tissue cord blood and adult stem cells Embryonic stem cells o 5 6 day old embryo o Tabula rasa Embryonic Germ Cells o Derived from the part of a human embryo or fetus that will ultimately produce eggs or sperm gametes Adult Stem Cells o Undifferentiated cells found among specialized or differentiated cells o Appear to have a more restricted ability to produce different cell in a tissue or organ after birth types and to self renew Pluripotent Stem Cells More potential to become any type of cell Multi potent Stem Cells Limited in what the cells can become Stages of embryogenesis 1 Cleavage 2 8 cell stage 3 Blastocyst 4 Blastocyst inner mass cells Blastocyst Diagram Fertilized egg totipotent cells Adult Stem Cells birth o Skin o Fat cells o Bone marrow o Brain o Many other organs and tissues Undifferentiated cells found among specialized cells in a tissue or organ after Bone Marrow Found in spongy bone where blood cells form Used to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells Treat patients diagnosed with leukemia aplastic anemia and lymphoma Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Adult stem cells of infant origin Less invasive than bone marrow Great compatibility Less expensive Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Three important functions 1 Plasticity Potential to change into other cell types like nerve cells 2 Homing to travel to the site of tissue damage 3 Engraftment To unite with other tissues Stem Cell Applications Tissue Repair o Nerve heart muscle organ skin Cancers Autoimmune diseases Diabetes rheumatoid arthritis MS Tissue Repair Regenerate spinal cord heart tissue or any other major tissue in the body Why is stem Cell research so important to all of us Stem cells can replace diseased or damaged cells Stem cells allow us to study development and genetics