Transgenesis Essay (Plants) Introduction: Genetic engineering is the process whereby the DNA is altered in an organism’s genome. In this essay I will discuss Transgenesis by discussing the manipulation for it and biological implications surrounding the process, as well as advantages and disadvantages of transgenic plants and animals. Definition: Transgenesis is the process of introducing an exogenous gene - called a transgene - into a living organism so that the organism will show a new property and pass that specific property onto its offspring. Manipulation/Technique for Transgenesis: There are a variety of techniques involved in Transgenesis, however the technique I will be specifically explaining is the Agrobacterium as a vector …show more content…
Firstly, a disadvantage of transgenic plants is the reduction in genetic diversity. This is a disadvantage because there is less variation among the transgenic plants, which means the transgenic plants will have almost identical genes, therefore if a new disease is introduced in the transgenic plant population, and if the transgenic plants have the unfavourable allele (allele that cannot resist the certain disease), then the transgenic plants will die due to them not having the resisted allele. Consequently the genetic variation for the particular species will be decreased and the population will also suddenly decrease. Not only does transgenesis reduce genetic variation among the transgenic population, but also transgenic plants will cause less effective antibiotics to be produced. Evidence indicates that certain crops that have been genetically modified by scientists have germ-killing (antibiotics) properties inserted into them in order to make the (transgenic plants) immune to certain diseases. However, when consumed, the antibiotic properties are left in your body, and therefore can make other antibiotics less effective/inefficient. Nevertheless there also advantages of transgenic plants. For example, transgenic plants that are made into food can withstand long-distance transportation. The transgenic crops are picked, when still green and have the ability to ripen during transportation methods therefore extending a longer shelf life. Even if the transportation distance is far, the food will reach its destination without spoiling. Furthermore, transgenic plants have the ability to be resistant to pests, and this is a huge benefit for farmers. For example, “Papaya ringspot