4.1: Manufacturing Human Proteins
What is the process of manufacturing proteins using bacteria?
Recombinant DNA technology is used to insert a human gene into a bacterial cell. The bacteria then produce the human protein.
What are some primary causes of kidney failure?
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes of kidney failure.
What are the two types of kidney transplants?
Living-donor kidney transplant and deceased-donor kidney transplant.
What are two possible future technologies for organ transplantation?
Xenotransplantation and Tissue Engineering.
How has genetic engineering impacted the production of insulin?
Genetic engineering has made it possible to produce large amounts of human insulin using bacteria, replacing the need for animal insulin.
How can lifestyle changes prevent organ failure?
Healthy diet, regular exercise, moderation of alcohol intake, and avoiding smoking can all contribute to preventing organ failure.
What is the process of determining organ compatibility for a transplant?
The process involves blood typing, HLA typing, antibody screening, and a crossmatch test.
What is tissue engineering?
Tissue engineering involves creating functional human tissues in a laboratory setting.
What are the advantages and potential disadvantages of using recombinant DNA technology to produce human proteins?
Advantages include a large scale and cost-effective production. Potential disadvantages could include the risk of contamination or allergies to the produced proteins.
Discuss the societal impacts of organ failure.
Organ failure can lead to personal health crises, economic burdens, and increased demand for transplants, impacting healthcare systems and society at large.
Discuss the ethical considerations involved in organ transplantation.
This could include issues of fairness in organ allocation, the use of living donors, and considerations for patients with certain lifestyles or conditions.
How might bionics be used in the future of organ transplantation or replacement?
Bionics could replace or enhance human body parts with artificial devices that mimic the function of the original organ or provide new capabilities.
Evaluate the implications of producing human proteins in other organisms. How might this technology evolve in the future?
This is subjective but could include discussion on ethical considerations, potential for disease treatment, and future applications in personalized medicine.
Evaluate the effectiveness of current treatments for organ failure. How could they be improved?
This is subjective but could include discussion on limitations of dialysis or organ transplants, and potential advancements in the field.
Evaluate the current methods of organ matching for transplants. How could they be improved?
This is subjective but could include discussion on technological advancements in HLA typing and potential improvements in organ allocation policies.
Evaluate the potential and limitations of xenotransplantation and tissue engineering as solutions for organ shortages.
Potential includes endless supply and custom-built organs, limitations include ethical and biological challenges, such as immune rejection and risk of disease transmission for xenotransplantation and technological hurdles for tissue engineering.