The Pros And Cons Of Animal Biotechnology

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Animal biotechnology is based on the science of genetic engineering.
Transgenics (also known as recombinant DNA) is the transferal of a specific gene from one organism to another. A transgenic animal is created once the second organism incorporates the new DNA into its own genetic material. The donor DNA must be cut and pasted, or recombined, into a compatible fragment of DNA from a vector. Vector is an organism that can carry the donor DNA into the host. The host organism is a multiplying microorganism such as a harmless bacterium, which serves as a factory where the recombined DNA can be duplicated in large quantities. The subsequently produced protein then can be removed from the host and used as a genetically engineered product in humans, other animals, plants, bacteria or viruses. The donor DNA can be introduced directly into an organism by techniques such as injection through the cell walls of plants or into the fertilized egg of an animal. This transferring of genes …show more content…

Specifically, the report listed three specific food concerns: allergens, bioactivity and the toxicity of unintended expression products.The potential for new allergens to be expressed in the process of creating foods from genetically modified animals is a real and valid concern, because the process introduces new proteins. While food allergens are not a new issue, the difficulty comes in how to anticipate these adequately, because they only can be detected once a person is exposed and experiences a