Genetic engineering

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/genetic-engineering

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific discipline?Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Genetic Science
2. What is the key enabling technologies?Recombinant DNA technology, PCR, Gene cloning, DNA sequencing, CRISPR-Cas9
3. How did scientists first create the first genetically modified bacteria?In the 1970s, scientists used new DNA tools to put human insulin genes into bacteria, making the first GMO.
4. What tools do scientists use to cut and paste DNA?They use enzymes that act like scissors (restriction enzymes) and glue (ligases), plus small DNA circles called plasmids to carry new genes.

Genome: The complete set of genetic material present in a cell or organism, including all of its genes.
Vector: A DNA molecule used as a vehicle to artificially carry foreign genetic material into another cell, where it can be replicated.
CRISPR-Cas9: A powerful gene-editing technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA sequences within living cells.