Transgenic Animals

Transgenic animals refer to animals that have been genetically modified to carry and exhibit an additional foreign gene. While various animals, including rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, cows, and fish, have been genetically modified to be transgenic, it is worth noting that the vast majority (over 95%) of transgenic animals in existence are mice. Common reasons for the development of transgenic animals are:

• In order to examine how genes are controlled and how they impact a person’s development and daily functions, transgenic animals can be particularly developed, for example, in the study of intricate growth-related factors like insulin-like growth factors. Information regarding the biological function of the factor in the body is discovered by introducing genes from different species that modify the creation of the factor and by examining the biological repercussions that follow. 
• Transgenic animals are commonly used to enhance our comprehension of how genes influence the onset and progression of diseases. They are specifically engineered to serve as models for human diseases, enabling researchers to investigate and develop new treatments. Transgenic animal models are available for numerous human diseases, including but not limited to cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s.
• Researchers are creating transgenic mice to evaluate the safety of vaccines before conducting human trials. Specifically, they are testing the reliability of these mice to assess the safety of the polio vaccine. If the results are promising, transgenic mice may replace the use of monkeys in evaluating vaccine safety.
• Toxicology/safety testing of chemicals is applied to testing medication toxicity. Genes are inserted into transgenic animals to increase their sensitivity to toxins compared to non-transgenic animals. After which, the impacts of the harmful compounds are evaluated. We can get data faster by testing for toxicity in these animals.
• Biological products used in medicines for treating certain diseases can be expensive to produce. One solution is to create transgenic animals by introducing a specific portion of DNA or genes that code for useful biological products, such as human proteins like α-1-antitrypsin, used to treat emphysema. Researchers are also attempting to use transgenic animals to treat conditions like phenylketonuria (PKU) and cystic fibrosis. The first transgenic cow, named Rosie, produced milk fortified with human protein in 1997. The milk contained human alpha-lactalbumin and was a more nutritionally balanced product for human babies than natural cow milk.

CBSE Class 12 Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications: Biotechnology refers to the production of biopharmaceuticals and biologicals on a large scale, which involves using genetically modified organisms such as microbes, fungi, plants, and animals. Biotechnology has various applications, including producing therapeutics, diagnostics, genetically modified crops, processed food, bioremediation, waste treatment, and energy production. Biotechnology has three key research areas: improving the catalyst as an organism or enzyme, engineering the ideal conditions for the catalyst to act, and developing downstream processing technologies for purifying proteins or organic compounds. In this article, we will discuss the CBSE Class 12 Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications.