A transgenic animals as the name itself indicates has genes across species. Transgenic creatures have or carry a foreign genome in their genetic material. If the precedence of modern-day transgenic organisms is followed back in time it dates back to 1928 when a guy called Frederick Griffith was working and observing bacteria that were spreading an epidemic disease. Bacteria are single celled organisms and whenever there was a breakage of the bacterial cell they used to take up genetic material from other ruptured cells and transform themselves. From there started the journey of genetic engineering. Subsequent to this he started combining genetic material from different species and produced transgenic cells. This gave birth to the technology of recombinant DNA technology which is a widely used technology for producing transgenic organisms.
Scientists begun to have real breakthrough in technology post 1972 and recorded studies indicated that studies were undertaken on mammals. Mammalian genetic material was combined with a viral pathogen found in the digestive system of mammal, mostly monkeys and also in humans since then transgenic animals have been used for several purposes for both academic purposes and also commercial activities like manufacture of human proteins. Also traditionally human hormones were meticulously drawn out from human cadavers and used to sold. The quantities used to be very less. Transgenic animals in turn help isolated human hormones easily and hence are used for manufacturing.
Transgenic animals are produced more or less the same way any other conventional breeding is done. Transgenic animals are bred for the general welfare of the people and the community and are encouraged by the scientific community because of the social importance it brings. Transgenic animals can be classified in to different categories based on the area of use. Transpharmers are the class of genetically modified creatures that are of economic importance because they are used to produce food for humans. Genetically modified cows are used to produce milk that are rich in human protein and hence are more nutritious. This category of animals also envisages poultry that can grow bigger in size, weight and or nutritional value.
Disease studies – Certain Trans gens are used for disease monitoring and characteristic study. This area involves genetically modified animals, for example mice that are used to study the response and control to various virus and other disease causing germs. This area is explored to study the effect to AIDS virus as well and is a very important area to work with. Oncology is another area that takes help of Transpharmers to understand the resistance and response of cancerous cells Xenoplanters are the type of organisms that are developed to produce organs for human transplantation. Transgenic animals with human genomes are being researched upon to produce human compatible organs like liver etc. The other important classification is organisms used for scientific studies to understand many processes that happen naturally in living beings. In a nut shell transgenic animals are of economic and social importance as they are beneficial to society. However this are carries its own ethical dilemmas. Philosophical people brand it as meddling with nature. They say ‘Nature is supreme’.
