[bahy-oh-juh-net-iks] 
| 1. | the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population. |
| 2. | a technique that produces unlimited amounts of otherwise unavailable or scarce biological product by introducing DNA isolated from animals or plants into bacteria and then harvesting the product from a bacterial colony, as human insulin produced in bacteria by the human insulin gene. |
The manipulation of DNA to produce new types of organisms, usually by inserting or deleting genes.
Note: Genetic engineering has been developed commercially, with uses such as producing human insulin or bacteria that will keep plants from freezing in a mild frost. It is also used to produce genetically modified organisms.
Note: U.S. courts have ruled that the products of genetic engineering can be patented.
Note: There is often controversy about the risk involved in releasing genetically engineered organisms into the environment.
| genetic engineering
The science of altering and cloning genes to produce a new trait in an organism or to make a biological substance, such as a protein or hormone. Genetic engineering mainly involves the creation of recombinant DNA, which is then inserted into the genetic material of a cell or virus. |
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