Question

Genetic engineering aims at

• A. Destroying wild gene
• B. Preserving defective gene
• C. Curing human disease by introducing new gene
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Curing human disease by introducing new gene

The non-mutated normal form of a gene which is naturally present in population is called as wild type allele. They impart natural genotype and natural phenotypes/traits to the organisms which is not a target for genetic engineering. Defective genes are the one that code for non-working or malfunctioning polypeptide and, thus, adversely affect the organisms. These genes should be eliminated, not preserved, from genome to fix the defects caused by them. Gene therapy is the process of introduction of DNA into living human beings in order to treat disease. It is used to replace a missing gene product or to correct mutant alleles. Gene therapy is a type of genetic engineering.