Transgenic (Edexcel IGCSE Biology)

Transgenic: Definition

Spec point — 5.16 · understand that the term transgenic means the transfer of genetic material from one species to a different species

• Genetic modification (or genetic engineering) is the process of artificially altering the DNA of an organism to give it new traits

• Scientists can combine DNA from different sources to change an organism's genome

• Any organism that has had new genetic material introduced is a genetically modified organism (GMO)

• Transgenic refers specifically to the transfer of genetic material from one species to a different species

• An organism containing DNA from a different species is called a transgenic organism

• All transgenic organisms are GMOs but not all GMOs are transgenic

  • For example, a plant modified with DNA from the same species is a GMO but not transgenic
  • For a plant to be transgenic, it would have to be modified with DNA from a different species

Exam Hint If you are asked to "state what is meant by the term transgenic" in your exam, you should state that transgenic means the transfer of genes (or alleles or DNA) between different species.

You must be clear that the genetic information has been transferred from one species to another species.