Discuss some of the impacts that tools and techniques of recombinant DNA technology have had on medicine.
What will be an ideal response?
Human gene libraries and DNA sequencing have greatly facilitated detecting genes and gene complexes that contribute to disease, both the genetic mutations that cause disease and genetic predispositions to a wide range of diseases. PCR, FISH, and microarrays are all tools that can be used to determine whether a person carries a specific genetic variation linked to disease or to detect the presence of a pathogen causing disease. Recombinant technology has provided tools to prevent or cure disease. Some examples include the ability to produce therapeutic agents such as human insulin for diabetes, clotting factors for people with blood-clotting disorders, and vaccines to prevent infection. The use of gene therapy to correct disorders of abnormal or nonfunctional genes is in its infancy and has been successfully applied to a couple of diseases.
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