What is Recombinant DNA Technology? Describe its medical applications

Recombinant DNA Technology is the part of genetic engineering in which cells are genetically engineered to obtain a valuable product like enzyme, metabolites, insulin, hepatitis vaccine which plays an important role in medical microbiology in addition to other prospects. The maximum benefits of biotechnology have been utilized by health care. This technology derives proteins and polypeptides to form the new class of potential drugs. Since 1982 human insulin has been produced by microorganisms in fermenters, used to treat diabetes.

Applications of Recombinant DNA technology
• Recombinant vaccine like Hepatitis-B vaccine: Microorganisms are genetically modified with Hepatitis gene and cultured so as to produce huge amount of hepatitis vaccine to treat hepatitis-B.
• Golden rice: Golden rice is medicinal plant product in which plant is recombinant with vitamin A producing gene and grown on field to obtain Golden rice which is widely used in treating blindness and malnutrition person.
• Recombinant metabolites like insulin: insulin can be produced on large scale by recombinant technology on microorganisms and used to treat the diabetic patient. Recombinant insulin is recognized by humulin.
• Recombinant enzymes: Recombinant DNA technology is done on microorganisms to produce large scale of enzyme like urease, streptodecase, alpha asparaginase, trypsin etc. for different purposes.
• Changing blood group: Enzymes provided by recombinant DNA technology is widely used to change blood group. Polysaccharides on RBC determine each type of blood group like A and B which on enzymatic hydrolysis, polysaccharides is removed and type A and B converted to O and are used widely in blood transfusion.
• Gene Therapy to cure genetic disease: Gene therapy is done directly by gene gun into patient body to cure a genetic disease which is also a recombinant technology.
• Criminal Investigation: DNA finger printing or polymerase chain reaction is a recombinant DNA technology in which single gene is amplified on large scale an investigate criminal on the basis of genome sequence.
• Diagnostic mechanism: Monoclonal anti body like immunoglobin can be produced on large scale by recombination of microorganisms with antibody gene and these monoclonal antibodies is used to depict pregnancy, cancer, allergy etc.
• Prevents from environmental disease: Recombinant DNA technology nowdays become basic tool obtaining recombinant organism for achieving metabolites which are responsible for eliminating environmental pollution. As it clears environment, it protests from disease, caused by pollutions. For eg. Pseudomonas putida used to treat oil spillage on sea and prevents from disease caused by oil on consumption through water.

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What is a gene mutation and how do mutations occur?

A gene mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. Mutations range in size from a single DNA building block (DNA base) to a large segment of a chromosome.
Gene mutations occur in two ways: they can be inherited from a parent or acquired during a person’s lifetime. Mutations that are passed from parent to child are called hereditary mutations or germline mutations (because they are present in the egg and sperm cells, which are also called germ cells). This type of mutation is present throughout a person’s life in virtually every cell in the body.
Mutations that occur only in an egg or sperm cell, or those that occur just after fertilization, are called new (de novo) mutations. De novo mutations may explain genetic disorders in which an affected child has a mutation in every cell, but has no family history of the disorder.
Acquired (or somatic) mutations occur in the DNA of individual cells at some time during a person’s life. These changes can be caused by environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation from the sun, or can occur if a mistake is made as DNA copies itself during cell division. Acquired mutations in somatic cells (cells other than sperm and egg cells) cannot be passed on to the next generation.
Mutations may also occur in a single cell within an early embryo. As all the cells divide during growth and development, the individual will have some cells with the mutation and some cells without the genetic change. This situation is called mosaicism.
Some genetic changes are very rare; others are common in the population. Genetic changes that occur in more than 1 percent of the population are called polymorphisms. They are common enough to be considered a normal variation in the DNA. Polymorphisms are responsible for many of the normal differences between people such as eye color, hair color, and blood type. Although many polymorphisms have no negative effects on a person’s health, some of these variations may influence the risk of developing certain disorders.

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Carbohydrate

Carbohydratesl Also called saccharides
- The name carbohydrate is derived from (C-H2O)n, or 'hydrate of carbon.'
- They are mostly produced by photosynthesis
- Crucial role in in living organism:
- energy storage
-protective coating
-derivates of other biological molecules
Monosaccharides:l the smallest units of carbohydrate structure.
- empirical formula (CH2O)n, where n >= 3 (n is usually five or six but can be up to nine).
Oligosaccharidesl polymers of 2 - 20 monosaccharide residues.
- most common oligosaccharides are the disaccharides
Polysaccharides
- polymers that contain usually > 20 monosaccharide residues.
-do not have the empirical formula (CH2O)
Glycoconjugates
- carbohydrate derivatives in which one or more carbohydrate chains are linked covalently to a peptide chain,
protein, or lipid.

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