Explain how scientists use recombinant DNA technology to produce the drug insulin?
Monday, October 19th, 2009 at
6:29 pm
Explain how scientists use recombinant DNA technology to produce the drug insulin. Be sure to also explain why a gene from one organism can be expressed by another organism.
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Tagged with: insulin • organism • recombinant dna technology • scientists
Filed under: Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA
1. Isolate Gene
The gene for producing HUMAN insulin protein is isolated. The gene is part of the DNA in a human chromosome. The gene can be isolated and then copied so that many insulin genes are available to work with.
2. Prepare Target DNA
In 1973, two scientists named Boyer and Cohen developed a way to take DNA from one organism and put it in the DNA of bacterium. This process is called recombinant DNA technology. First, a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid is removed from a bacterial cell. Special proteins are used to cut the plasmid ring open.
3. Insert DNA into Plasmid
With the plasmid ring open, the gene for insulin is inserted into the plasmid ring and the ring is closed. The human insulin gene is now recombined with the bacterial DNA plasmid.
4. Insert Plasmid back into cell
The bacterial DNA now contains the human insulin gene and is inserted into a bacteria. Scientists use very small needle syringes to move the recombined plasmid through the bacterial cell membrane.
5. Plasmid multiply
Many plasmids with the insulin gene are inserted into many bacterial cells. The cells need nutrients in order to grow, divide, and live. While they live, the bacterial cell processes turn on the gene for human insulin and the insulin is produced in the cell. When the bacterial cells reproduce by dividing, the human insulin gene is also reproduced in the newly created cells.
6. Target Cells Reproduce
Human insulin protein molecules produced by bacteria are gathered and purified. The process of purifying and producing cow and pig insulin has been greatly reduced or eliminated.
7. Cells Produce Proteins
Millions of people with diabetes now take human insulin produced by bacteria or yeast (biosynthetic insulin) that is genetically compatible with their bodies, just like the perfect insulin produced naturally in your body.