Transgenic animals

 What are transgenic animals ?

The animals which carry foreign genes are called transgenic genes.So question arises that what are transgenic genes.

 A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the phenotype of an organism.

      Production of transgenic animals

The foreign genes are inserted into genome of the animal using Recombinant DNA technology. The production of transgenic animals include :-

• Location, identification and separation of desired gene.
• Selection of proper vector( generally a virus) or direct transmission.
• Combining the desired gene with the vector.
• Introduction of transferred vector into the cell, tissues, embryo or mature individual.
• Demonstration of integration and expression of foreign gene in Transgenic tissue or animal.

Advantages of Transgenic animals

• Normal physiology and development :- Transgenic animals are specially developed to study how genes are regulated and how they affect the normal functions of the body and its development, e.g. study of complex factors involved in growth such as insulin like growth factor.

• Study of diseases :- Many transgenic animal are developed to increase our understanding how genes contribute to development of a disease so that investigation of new treatment for disease is made possible. Now transgenic models exist for many human diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer.

• Biological products :- Medicines required to treat certain human diseases can contain biological products but such products are often expensive to make. Transgenic animals that produce useful biological products can be created by the introduction of the portion of DNA( or genes) which codes for a particular product such as human protein used to treat emphysema.

• Vaccine safety testing :- Transgenic mice are being formed for use in testing the safety of vaccines before they are used on the humans.

IN THE NEXT BLOG POST WE DISCUSS THE REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF TRANSGENIC ANIMALS.