Biotechnology

Quarter 3 – Module 3

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SIGNIFICANCE AND ADVANCES OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed by the

Quality Assurance (QA) group of Moonwalk National High School of the Schools
Division of Paranaque. We encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to
email their feedback, comments, and recommendations to the MwNHS@deped.gov.ph.
We value your feedback and recommendations.
 Learning Competencies (Essential Competencies)

Describe the significance and advances in genetic engineering.

Objectives

At the end the lesson, the learners should be able to:

- discuss the significance of advances of genetic engineering

- share their positive and negatives ideas on genetic engineering
- show in a collage the different laws amended in our country in the adoption of
biotechnology in our country and Philippine products derived through genetic
engineering.

Introduction:
Biotechnology is not new to our country. The fact that we started the biotechnology
programs in 1980 with the formal creation of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, we are the first ASEAN country
to approve the commercial cultivation of genetically modified crop for feed and food - Bt corn in
the Philippines was designed to be resistant to the Asiatic corn borer, one of the nation’s most
destructive corn pests. This product of genetic engineering presents a practical and ecologically
sustainable solution for poor corn farmers everywhere to increase their yields and decrease
pesticide use, thus improving their health and livelihoods, alleviating poverty. Does genetic
engineering really plays a vital role in our country or in other parts of the world today?

Let’s Understand (Study the Concept)

It is an important tool in genetic engineering that allows the function of specific genes to be
studied. Drugs, vaccines and other products have been harvested from organisms engineered to
produce them. Crops have been developed that aid food security by increasing yield, nutritional
value and tolerance to environmental stresses.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two
decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on
their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical
considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its
potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and
reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate
about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20
years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the
conversation.

Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between
1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse
effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the
future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic,
health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps
in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE
technology.

As genetics allows us to turn the tide on human disease, it's also granting the power to
engineer desirable traits into humans. What limits should we create as this technology
develops?

Genes influence health and disease, as well as human traits and behavior. Researchers are just
beginning to use genetic technology to unravel the genomic contributions to these different
phenotypes, and as they do so, they are also discovering a variety of other potential applications
for this technology. For instance, ongoing advances make it increasingly likely that scientists will
someday be able to genetically engineer humans to possess certain desired traits. Of course, the
possibility of human genetic engineering raises numerous ethical and legal questions. Although
such questions rarely have clear and definite answers, the expertise and research of bioethicists,
sociologists, anthropologists, and other social scientists can inform us about how different
individuals, cultures, and religions view the ethical boundaries for the uses of genomics.
Moreover, such insights can assist in the development of guidelines and policies.

Genetic Engineering is a technique of controlled manipulation of genes to change the genetic

makeup of cells and move genes across species boundaries to produce novel organisms.
Advancements in Genetic Engineering journal provide an opportunity to share the information
on Genetic engineering techniques and its application to numerous fields of research,
biotechnology, and medicine among scientists and researchers.

Gene therapy and genetic engineering are two closely related technologies that involve altering
the genetic material of organisms. The distinction between the two is based on purpose. Gene
therapy seeks to alter genes to correct genetic defects and thus prevent or cure genetic
diseases. Genetic engineering aims to modify the genes to enhance the capabilities of the
organism beyond what is normal.

Ethical controversy surrounds possible use of the both of these technologies in plants,
nonhuman animals, and humans. Particularly with genetic engineering, for instance, one
wonders whether it would be proper to tinker with human genes to make people able to
outperform the greatest Olympic athletes or much smarter than Einstein.

Let’s Apply
Fill in the table with the advantages and disadvantages of rDNA technology

Advantages Disadvantages

Let’s Evaluate
Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Was it a good move of our government to adopt biotechnology in our country? Give concrete
evidence to support your opinion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Would you support or not support the biotechnology use in our country today and in the
future? Why you do so?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________
 Let’s Create

Construct a collage showing the different laws amended in our country in the
adoption of biotechnology and below it Philippine products derived through genetic engineering.
You will be graded based on the rubric below.

AREAS OF 20 16 12 8 4
GRADING
Included all Included most Include some Included very Included
Content aspects of the required of the laws few aspects of almost no
laws aspects of the concerning the laws required
concerning laws biotechnology concerning aspects of
biotechnology concerning in our country biotechnology the laws
in our country biotechnology and the in our country concerning
and the in our country products and the biotechnology
products and the made through products in our country
made through products genetic made through and the
genetic made through engineering. genetic products
engineering. genetic engineering. made through
engineering. genetic
engineering.
Laws are Most of the Some laws and Few laws and Laws and
Presentation properly laws are products are products are products
presented and properly presented presented presented are
products are presented and not related to
properly products are the topic.
labeled correctly
labelled
Quality of The work is The work was The work was Construction Construction
Work neat, accurate for accurate for appears appears
attractive and the most part the most part careless or almost non-
follows plan but some but need to be haphazard. existent.
accurately aspects could redesigned for Many details Students
have been audience to be need supplied some
refined for a properly refinements materials that
more guided while for a strong or has no
attractive reading In it. attractive organization
product. work. or evidence of
product.