Biotechnology: real-world applications of genetics

Genetics research has led to real technologies that use or modify DNA directly, like genetic testing to check for disease risk. Tools such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which quickly makes millions of copies of a chosen DNA segment, and gel electrophoresis, which uses an electric current to sort DNA fragments by size, let scientists study even tiny DNA samples for uses like diagnosing diseases and forensic DNA analysis. Genetic engineering changes an organism's DNA to add or alter traits, as in genetically modified crops that resist pests, and gene therapy tries to fix a disease-causing gene directly. Each of these raises its own practical and ethical questions society still has to work through.

This explanation is AI-generated and can occasionally be wrong. 🚩 Report