Genetic technology applied to medicine

Need to know

What you need to know

• Recombinant DNA technology is used to produce human proteins in other organisms.
• Key examples include insulin for diabetes and Factor VIII for haemophilia.
• Advantages include high yield, high purity, reduced risk of disease transmission from animal sources, and fewer ethical concerns.
• The process involves gene isolation, insertion into a vector, transformation of a host, and large-scale culture in fermenters.

Explanation

Genetic technology applied to medicine

1. Recombinant DNA technology is used to produce human proteins in other organisms.
2. Key examples include insulin for diabetes and Factor VIII for haemophilia.
3. Advantages include high yield, high purity, reduced risk of disease transmission from animal sources, and fewer ethical concerns.
4. The process involves gene isolation, insertion into a vector, transformation of a host, and large-scale culture in fermenters.