Stem cells and genetic engineering: the basics

In short: Stem cells can develop into different cell types. Genetic engineering deliberately alters the genetic material of organisms. Both offer opportunities in medicine and agriculture and raise ethical questions.

In more detail: With the gene scissors CRISPR/Cas genes can be cut particularly precisely.

In detail

• Embryonic stem cells: Can develop into almost all cell types, ethically controversial.
• Adult stem cells: E.g. in bone marrow, form blood cells; bone marrow donation helps leukaemia patients (blut-zusammensetzung-und-aufgaben).
• Gene therapy: Defective genes are replaced or repaired, e.g. in rare hereditary diseases.
• Genetic engineering in agriculture: Plants with pest resistance; strictly regulated in the EU.
• Insulin: Produced by genetic engineering in bacteria.
• Risks: Unintended changes, ecological consequences.
• Ethics: Limits for interventions in the human germline (ethik-grundlagen-gut-und-richtig).
• Basics: Genes and DNA (dna-und-gene, zelle-aufbau-und-funktion).