Summary: Role Of Genetics In Human Welfare

2014

Sadaf Naz (2011-ag-3222)

PBG 5th Semester

[ASSIGNMENT PBG-301]

Role of Genetics for the Welfare of Human Beings

Role of Genetics in Human Welfare

Introduction:

Genetics is the study of inherited characters from parents to progeny, in which the pattern of inheritance of structure and function of genes, their molecular structure and function, how a gene behaves in the cell or an organism, distribution of genes and the changes and variability found in a population are studied. Since these genes are found in each and every organism of this universe so the study of genetics is applied to study all the living organisms of this universe from microscopic bacteria and

This application of genetics has made the human beings to be able to recognize and treat their different disease and ultimately to save themselves from the harmful effects of the acute diseases. Different techniques like “gene therapy”, “recombinant DNA technology” and PCR are introduced by “genetic engineering” and “biotechnology”. These techniques use the genes and genetic material or DNA molecule for the recognition of the diseases and introduction of new, healthy genes in body to replace the diseased cells. Some applications of genetics in the field of medicine are described below to explain the important role played by genetics in the disease eradication.

Biotechnology and Medicine:

Biotechnology is playing its important role in the field of medicine through

• “Pharmacogenomics”

• “Gene therapy”

• “Gene testing”

 Pharmacogenomics:

The combined study and application of pharmacology and genomics is the pharmacogenomics. This field is endowing many benefits to human described below:

• Drug Development:

Pharmaceutical agencies produce different drugs through pharmacogenomics. These drugs include: o “Protein drugs” o “Enzymes” o “Certain genes associated with disease and related to molecule based on RNA”

These drugs not only treat the disease but also induce their therapeutic impact on the surrounding cells which are healthy and ultimately reducing the harmful impact of the

This will give an adapted variety with improved traits. Crop yield can also be increased in this by using modern biotechnological techniques. This is however a very much exhausting job and needs careful work to be done. By using genetic engineering and biotechnology, the geneticists are trying to improve the nutritional quality parameters of the crops e.g. protein, oil, starch and certain amino acid contents in the field crop plants. Using this approach, approximately all the seed producing companies are introducing the new, improved, high quality and better yield varieties of almost all the field crops. Hybrid varieties are considered to be high yielding in comparison with the cultivated commercial varieties of the crops. Development of these more yielding varieties is very important to ensure the food supply of the world in future. This can be made possible