Fortunately, you don't need to be in order to grasp the basics of genetic engineering. Read our short tutorial and you'll be able to discuss the topic with the best of them. Some biology basics Plants and animals are made up of millions of cells. DNA contains complete information regarding the function and structure of organisms ranging from plants and animals to bacterium. A gene represents the blueprint of an animal or plant.
Genes determine an organism's growth, size, and other characteristics.
Genes are made up of sequences of DNA . . As you remember from basic biology, genes are the units by which species transfer inheritable characteristics from one generation to the next. Genetic engineering is the process of artificially tampering with these blueprints. Through genetic engineering, scientists insert the gene of one organism into another in an effort to replicate characteristics in the receiving organism. So, for example, genetic engineers have added genes from the flounder to tomatoes in an attempt to give tomatoes a longer shelf life.