The Importance of Improved Genetics

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The Importance of Improved Genetics

• Topic 3031
• By Rick Sokol
• (some materials gathered from www.agednet.com)

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Biotechnology In Agriscience

• New forms of plants and animals
• Improved plant and animal life processes
• Improved quality and kind of foods

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Genetics

• Traits parents pass to their offspring.
• Variability the difference between animals
  within the same species.
• Dominant Traits always show up in the offspring.
  
• Recessive Traits can be covered up by other
  traits.
• A dominant trait in cattle is polled cattle.
  Recessive is red cattle.

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Double Helix

• Two strands of DNA, twisted, forming a spiral
  structure.
• Genetic Code information allowing an organism to
  function.
• Mutations changes in genes and chromosomes can
  be genetic and physical.
• Larger fruits

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Genetic Engineering

• DNA of two different organisms may be combined.
• Rung structure allows for segments of DNA to be
  cut out and new ones inserted.
• E. coli bacteria are most often used as carriers
  of new DNA (vectors) into the cell.

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Ways Genetic Engineering Benefits

• Herbicide, Insect, and Disease -Resistant Plants
• Transgenic Animals

• Frost Protection
• Longer Storage Life
• New Animal Products

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Greater Fertility

• SUPEROVULATION
• Inject cow with hormone
• gonadotropin
• Cow releases 8-20 eggs during estrus
• instead of normally only releasing one egg
• EMBYRO TRANSFER
• Flush embryos from dam seven days after
  fertilization
• Place into another female recipient to carry to
  term

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More Production

• Milk Hormones
• Inject BST to cows
• Increased milk production
• Meat Hormones
• Use PST on hogs
• Produce more muscle
• Growth Implants
• Insert a small pellet under the skin of animals
• Promotes growth

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More Production cont.

• Ammoniating Hay
• Treat low quality hay with ammonia
• Increase protein content and digestibility
• Controlled Feeding
• Cattle fitted with sensors
• Allows the animal to eat its specific feed
  ration

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Aquaculture

• SPAWNING
• Inject female fish with gonadotropin
• Induce spawning
• HATCHING
• Regulate water movement, temperature and oxygen
  level
• Artificially hatch eggs
• SEX CHANGES
• Some species dont grow well when males and
  females are left together scientists developed a
  way of changing the sex of newly-hatched fry.

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Marketing Strategies

• Food products are produced in different shapes
  and forms to encourage people to buy them.
• Miniature vegetables baby corn and carrots
• The round carrot can be sold for a higher price
  the nutritional value is the same.

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Predicting the Future

• PLANT GROWTH CHAMBERS
• Studies the effects of environmental changes on
  plants
• COMPUTER SIMULATIONS
• Cropping models and erosion
• OTHER EXAMPLES
• Using growth regulators
• Forcing plants
• Using wastes as feed

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Issues Concerning The Public Regarding
Biotechnology

• Uncertainty
• Dangers in new life forms
• Keep organisms natural
• Unhealthy food
• Labeling
• Ethics of joining plants and animals
• Lack of information