Question

Select aspects of gene transfer therapy that differ from the process of creating a transgenic organism.

a) Gene transfer therapy targets specific cells or tissues, while creating a transgenic organism involves altering the genetic makeup of the entire organism.
b) Gene transfer therapy is primarily used for therapeutic purposes in humans, whereas creating a transgenic organism aims at introducing new traits in an organism.
c) Gene transfer therapy involves inserting genetic material into an individual's cells to treat diseases, while creating a transgenic organism involves modifying the DNA of reproductive cells or embryos.
d) Gene transfer therapy focuses on correcting genetic defects within an individual, whereas creating a transgenic organism involves altering the genetic code of an entire population.

Answer 1

Gene transfer therapy aims to treat diseases by introducing genes into specific cells of an individual, while creating transgenic organisms leads to genetic alterations that permeate the entire organism and are used for experimental or product-creation purposes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Both gene transfer therapy and the creation of transgenic organisms involve the alteration of DNA to achieve certain goals; however, they differ in scope, intent, and methodology. Gene transfer therapy is a form of genetic engineering aimed at treating diseases within individual patients by introducing functional genes into their cells. In contrast, creating a transgenic organism involves integrating new genetic material into the genome of an organism to introduce new traits, affecting the entire organism and possibly future generations if germ cells are modified.

The three main differences between gene transfer therapy and creating a transgenic organism are:

• Gene transfer therapy targets specific cells or tissues for therapeutic purposes, while transgenic organism modification alters the genetic makeup of the entire organism.
• Gene transfer therapy is used to treat diseases in humans by inserting genetic material into individual's cells, whereas transgenic organisms are usually modified for experimental purposes or to produce products like vaccines, antibiotics, and hormones.
• Gene transfer therapy tends to focus on correcting genetic defects to treat diseases within an individual, such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), while transgenic technologies can be employed in agriculture and research to integrate desirable traits across a population.