Insulin Production
Key Stage 4 Higher
Meaning
Insulin production is how insulin is made to treat diabetics.
About Insulin Production
- Before genetic engineering insulin was gathered from the pancreases of pigs which had been slaughtered for meat.
- Insulin is produced currently by genetically modified bacteria which have had the gene coding for insulin inserted into a plasmid in the bacteria.
- The gene which codes for the synthesis of insulin can be removed from a human cell using a special enzyme. This gene is then inserted into the plasmid of a bacteria using another enzyme. The bacteria is then encouraged to reproduce. This new colony of bacteria synthesise insulin.