3.5 Genetic Modification and Biotechnology

3.5 Genetic Modification and Biotechnology

1. Nature of Science

   • Risks associated with GM crops or livestock
     • Monarch butterflies vs Bt crops

2. PCR

   • Can be used to amplify small amounts of DNA

3. DNA profiling

   • Analysis of examples of DNA profiles
     • Paternity and Forensic investigations

4. Cloning

   • Many plants and some animals have natural methods of cloning
     • Animals can be cloned at the embryo stage by breaking up the embryo into more than one group of cells
     • Aim 6
       • One factor affecting the rooting of stem-cuttings
   • Cloning adults animals using differentiated cells
     • Somatic-cell nuclear transfer
       • Dolly

5. Gene transfer to bacteria

   • Restriction endonucleases
   • Plasmids
   • DNA ligase

6. TOK

   • The use of DNA for securing convictions in legal cases
     • What criteria are necessary for assessing the reliability of evidence?