Recombinant DNA
- July 22, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Science and tech
Context:
Recombinant DNA technology may see enormous growth in post covid-19 as it plays important role in vaccine development
Concept:
- Recombinant DNA involves cutting a piece of original DNA and inserting in its place a different segment of DNA having desired characters. The recombined or recomposed DNA is then copied multifold inside bacterial cells and stored in a gene library for use when required.
- Recombinant DNA technology resulted from the two discoveries made while experimenting with bacteria :
1. presence of plasmids or extra chromosomal DNA fragments in the bacterial cell which replicate along with bacterial DNA and can be used as a vector for carrying foreign DNA.
2. presence of specific restriction enzymes which attack and cut DNA at specific sites.
- Recombinant DNA technology is widely used in Agriculture to produce genetically-modified organisms
- It is used for the production of medicines like insulin
Source: Biology Discussion