Task.12. Describe the large-animal and small-animal veterinarian activity using the information given in text “Medical Care” Which activity is more preferable and attractive for you and your mates?

WHAT IS GENETIC ENGINEERING?

Genetic engineering (GE), genetic modification (GM) or genetic manipulations — all the three forms mean the same thing, the reshuffling of genes usually from one species to another. Existing examples include: from fish to tomato or from human to pig.

Today we find it mixed in our food — genetically engi­neered soybeans and maize, sugar beet, wheat, potato, straw­berries and so on. But if you want to understand genetic engineering, it is best to start with some basic biology.

A cell is the smallest living unit, the basic structural and functional unit of all living matter (a plant, an animal or a fungus). Some organisms such as amoebae, bacteria, some algae and fungi are single-celled. Humans are quite different and are made up of approximately 3 million cells. Cells are stacked together to make up tissues, organs or structures (brain, liver, bones, skin, leaves, fruit, etc.) In an organism, cells depend on each other to perform various functions and tasks.

Proteins are the basic building materials for a cell giving cells the capacity to function properly.

Chromosomes means “coloured bodies”. They look like bundled up knots and loops of a long thin thread. They are the storage place for all genetic (or hereditary) information. This information is written along the thin thread, called DNA. “DNA” is an abbreviation for dioxyribonucleic acid, a specific for acidic material found in the nucleus. The genetic information is written in the form of a code. When a cell multiplies it will also copy all the DNA and pass it on to the daughter cell.

The totality of the genetic information of an organism is called genome. Cells of humans, for example, possess two sets of 23 different chromosomes, one set from the mother and the other from the father. The DNA of each human cell corresponds to 2 meters of DNA if it is stretched out. The length of DNA contained in the human body is approxi­mately 60,000,000,000 kilometres. This is equivalent to the distance to the Moon and back 8,000 times!

The information contained on the chromosomes in the DNA is written and coded in such a way that it can be understood by almost all living species on earth. Thus it is called the universal code of life.

The information for how any cell is structured or how it functions is all encoded in single and distinct genes. A gene is a certain segment (length) of DNA with specific protein.

Genetic engineering is used to take genes and segments of DNA from one species and put them into another species. Using a set of techniques, GE makes it possible to break through the species barrier and to shuffle information between completely unrelated species; for example, to splice an insect-killing toxin gene from bacteria into maize, cotton or rape seed, or genes from humans into pigs.

gene [d3i:n] n, c — ген

genetic adj — генетический, генный

modify v — видоизменять

modification n, c — видоизменение

shuffle v — перемешивать

soybeans — соевые бобы

maize — кукуруза

sugar beet — сахарная свекла

cell n, c — клетка

single-celled adj — одноклеточный

living matter — живая материя

amoeba — амеба

alga n (algaepi) — водоросль

stacked together — соединены t

issue n, c — (биол.) ткань

organic tissue — органическая ткань

to perform functions — выполнять функции
capacity n, c — способность, возможность

the storage place — хранилище

thread n, c — нить

abbreviation n, c — сокращение

acid n, c/u — кислота

acidic adj — кислый

nucleus n — ядро

multiply v — размножаться

to pass smth on to smth — передать

bundled up — перепутанный

knot n, c — узел

loop n, c — петля

total adj — общий, совокупный

totality n, и — совокупность possess v — обладать

stretch out v — вытянуть

code v — кодировать

be structured —быть построенным

to be encoded — быть закодированным

distinct adj — определенный

to break through smth — пробиться через что-л.

unrelated adj — несхожий

splice v — соединить; скрестить

cotton n, и — хлопок

rape n, и — рапс

 

1. What are other terms for genetic engineering?

2. What kind of genetically modified food can we find to­day?

3. What is a cell?

4. What single-celled organisms do you know?

5. What are proteins?

6. What is the main function of chromosomes?

7. What does DNA stand for?

8. What is genome?

9. Why is information contained in the DNA called the universal code of life?

10. What is a gene?

11. What for is GE used?

 

 

1.Complete the tables below.

Verb	Noun
classify
develop
	name
agree
oppose
	illustration
propose
	publication
	founder

Noun	Adjective
science
significance
	organic
	genetic
origin
	long
	schematic
strength

 

2. What is the odd word out? Explain why.

a) name, call, classify, found.

b) organ, part, place, segment.

c) botanist, surgeon, biologist, naturalist.

d) artificial, synthetic, genuine, false.

e) combine, separate, mix, blend.

f) protein, cell, nucleus, circle.

g) amoebae, worms, fungi, bacteria.

h) water, oil, gas, coal.

♦ 3. Use the verbs from the box in the right form.

found, discover, provide, classify, suggest

1. From earliest childhood we are taught to give names to the objects around us and to... them in some simple way.

2. The laboratory was to... the necessary equipment for the experiment.

3. The expedition returned from the Alps where they... some new plants.

4. This young scientist is widely known now, not long ago he... a new method of breeding.

5. This society for protecting animal’s rights was... a few years ago.

♦ 4. Give the plural of the following nouns:

gene amoeba bacterium

datum type species

moss fungus

♦ 5. Complete the sentences below with the words from the box.

DNA, nucleus, cell, chromosomes, gene, genome

1. A pattern of chemicals within a cell that carries informa­tion about the qualities passed on to a living thing from its parents is called a....

2.... is a complete set of genes in a living thing.

3. A... the command center of the cell, contains all the vital information needed by the cell or the whole organism to function.

4. Genetic engineering is used to take segments of... from one species and put them into another one.

5. When a... multiplies it will also copy all the DNA.

6.... look like bundled up knots and loops of a long thin thread.

 

 

TEXTS FOR READING

Vitamin E

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922. It is necessary for rats and some other animals, when the fetus is being developed. If rats are fed on a ration made up of highly purified nutrients containing none of this vitamin the females will conceive normally, but the fetuses die at an early stage of development and are absorbed. A lack of vitamin E also causes sterility of male rats, and it may also be concerned with lactation in the rat.

Vitamin E is widely distributed in stock feeds and in human foods that have not been artificially refined. It is abundant in the cereal grains and other feeds, where it is present in the oil of the embryo and not in the endosperm. It is also abundant in the green-leaved parts of plants and in good-quality hay, and is supplied by milk, butter, egg yolk, and meat.

Vocabulary List

fetus (foetus)- эмбрион, зародыш rat – крыса

purify (v) - очищать от pure - чистый females - самки

conceive (v) - зачать, забеременеть males – самцы

to be concerned – быть связанным с чем- либо

abundant (a) - богатый, изобильный yolk (n) - желток (яйца)

artificially (adv) – искуccтвeнный cereal (a) - зepновой, xлeбный

refine(v) - очищать supply (v) – снабжать

 

Exercise 1. Read the text "Vitamin E" and answer the following questions:

1. What animals need vitamin E when fetus is being developed?

2. Is sterility in male rats caused by a lack of this vitamin?

3. Where is vitamin E abundant?

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions in Russian and in English:

1. When was vitamin E discovered?

2. What will happen to the fetus in the rat if no vitamin E is present in the ration?

3. Is the lack of vitamin E concerned with lactation in the rat?

4. In what foods and feeds is vitamin E widely distributed?

5. Is it present in the endosperm?

6. Is it supplied by milk, meat and eggs?

Exercise 3. Translate the text "Vitamin E" into Russian