What is the difference between artificial selection and genetic engineering

In addition, artificial selection does not allow introducing entirely new traits to organisms. Artificial selection is similar to natural selection. But the artificial selection is made by humans while natural selection is a natural process.

Artificial selection is practised frequently in agriculture in order to produce animals and crops with desirable traits. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage were all derived from the wild mustard plant through selective breeding. Genetic engineering is a completely artificial process in which the genetic composition of an organism is modified through recombinant DNA technology. During the genetic engineering process, a known gene is introduced to alter the natural genetic composition, using a vector system.

The gene of interest is cloned on to a compatible vector. Gene transformation methods such as electroporation, biolistic gene gun method, and PEG mediated gene transfer are also used to introduce the foreign DNA to the respective host organisms.

Upon completion of the transformation process, the transformed and the non — transformed cells or plants are selected using special reporter systems such as the GUS assay. Genetically engineered organisms and plants are mainly important for commercial purposes.

Organisms or plants capable of producing different beneficial products such as amino acids, proteins, vitamins and antibiotics are produced through genetic engineering. Furthermore, genetically engineered crops such as herbicide-tolerant tomatoes and BT Maize, etc.

Although genetically engineered food products will be a positive approach for the increasing global food demand and the population rise, genetic engineering of crops or animals involves a lot of social and ethical concerns, which are debated across the scientific community in the world.

Artificial selection is the process which selects individuals with desirable traits to breed while genetic engineering is the process of artificially changing the genetic composition of organisms through recombinant engineering technology.

So, this is the key difference between artificial selection and genetic engineering. If the environment changes, natural selection will then push organisms to evolve in a different direction to adapt to their new circumstances. How does this relate to finches? In fact, they were different species of finches with a variety of traits. Some finches, for instance, had long, narrow beaks, while others had short, thick beaks.

Darwin concluded that the traits of the different populations of finches had changed over time, and that these variations were related to different environments in the islands. Each type of beak had evolved for a specific task. Where there was a large supply of seeds on the ground, for instance, short-beaked finches became more common, because these beaks were better at cracking open the seeds. Where cactus plants were more common, finches developed long, narrow beaks to extract pollen and nectar from cactus flowers.

But Darwin was also inspired greatly by the evolution that he saw in the traits of pigeons, not due to natural selection but rather artificial selection. By selecting which pigeons were allowed to mate, people had a profound effect on their appearance, such as the shape and size of their beaks and the color of their feathers.

Dog breeding is another prime example of artificial selection. Although all dogs are descendants of the wolf, the use of artificial selection has allowed humans to drastically alter the appearance of dogs.

For centuries, dogs have been bred for various desired characteristics, leading to the creation of a wide range of dogs, from the tiny Chihuahua to the massive Great Dane. Artificial selection has long been used in agriculture to produce animals and crops with desirable traits. The meats sold today are the result of the selective breeding of chickens, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Many fruits and vegetables have been improved or even created through artificial selection. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage were all derived from the wild mustard plant through selective breeding.

Artificial selection appeals to humans since it is faster than natural selection and allows humans to mold organisms to their needs. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society. It was determined that the GM trees posed no threat to the environment as the inserted gene was not involved in traits such as cell-wall density or fibre.

The commercial possibilities of this project include the production of wood that is more dense, strong and straighter for timber. In medical research, a team at the University of Auckland [7] want to create a transgenic fish that will help understand the biology of the muscle-wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

A gene has been identified that will strengthen muscles but has not yet been inserted into humans. Inserting this gene into zebrafish will elucidate the function of this gene and will facilitate potentially live-saving gene therapy in humans. At present, no gene therapy has been approved for use however recent clinical trials, such as those looking at inherited forms of blindness, have shown promise. Gene therapy has been successful in dogs and trials in humans show encouraging results, with significant restoration of vision in one patient [8].

Stem cells from the umbilical cord of a saviour sibling can be used to treat a child with a disease. This has been successfully carried out to cure a child of the fatal Diamond-Blackfan anaemia, a blood disorder. However, opponents fear that this technology will lead to the occurrence of designer babies, those that have been screened as embryos to select for desirable traits and to reduce the likelihood of disease.

The University of Otago is pioneering a three-year international investigation into how New Zealand should respond to these emerging genetic technologies [9]. The first report by the Human Genome Research Project into pre-implantation genetic diagnosis [10] concluded that it was medically safe. However, the issue of genetic modification in humans is littered with moral and ethical issues and will need to be tightly regulated. The Bioethics Council [11] in New Zealand advises the government on the ethical and cultural issues of emerging biotechnologies.

What legislation is there for GM organisms? Overall, the government is supportive of GM, if implemented with caution and correct risk management. The Royal Commission report on GM can be viewed here [12]. It governs genetic modification and its application to living things, a summary of this legislation is provided from the Ministry for the Environment [13].