What is the Difference Between Genetic Engineering and Genetic Modification

The main difference between genetic engineering and genetic modification is that the genetic engineering is the artificial introduction of a target change to a genome of an organism in order to achieve a specific product whereas the genetic modification represents the collection of methods used to alter the genetic composition of an organism. 

Genetic engineering and genetic modification are two aspects of biotechnology used during the production of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Genetic engineering is a type of genetic modification while genetic modification includes hybridization, selection, induced mutations, etc. of a particular genome.

Key Areas Covered 

1. What is Genetic Engineering
     – Definition, Characteristics, Advantages
2. What is Genetic Modification
     – Definition, Characteristics, Advantages
3. What are the Similarities Between Genetic Engineering and Genetic Modification
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Genetic Engineering and Genetic Modification
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms 

Foreign DNA, Genetic Engineering, Genetic Modification, Selective Breeding

What is Genetic Engineering 

Genetic engineering is a type of modification of the genetic material of an organism in which a foreign gene carrying a beneficial characteristic is introduced into the genome. Here, the foreign gene is from an unrelated organism of the host organism. It is first inserted into a vector and then, is transformed into the host. Now, the host organism with the altered genetic material is called a transgenic.  

Figure 1: Genetic Engineering

The main advantage of genetic engineering is that it can introduce a beneficial characteristic to a particular organism. Hence, the expression of the foreign DNA inside the transgenic organism will produce a new product. Therefore, genetic engineering can be used to produce a variety of metabolites such as antibiotics, vaccines, enzymes, hormones, etc. by introducing the corresponding genes into bacteria. Another example of genetic engineering is the introduction of beta-carotene-producing genes to rice.  

What is Genetic Modification 

Genetic modification is an alteration of the genome of a particular organism. It can be either through human manipulation or as a result of a natural process such as crossbreeding or selective breeding between plants. Hybridization and mutations are other types of natural methods of genetic modification. Genetic engineering is the human manipulation of the genome by inserting foreign genes with beneficial characteristics.

Figure 2: Genetic Modification  

The main advantage of genetically-modified organisms is that they are resistant to pests and diseases and tolerant to herbicides, drought, and cold. Also, they give a high yield.  

Similarities Between Genetic Engineering and Genetic Modification 

• Genetic engineering and genetic modification are two methods involved in the alteration of the genetic material of a particular organism. 
• Also, more beneficial organisms can be produced by both methods. 

Difference Between Genetic Engineering and Genetic Modification 

Definition 

Genetic Engineering refers to the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material while genetic modification refers to the artificial alteration of the genetic material of an organism to produce a desired characteristic. This explains the basic difference between genetic engineering and genetic modification.

Significance 

Furthermore, the main difference between genetic engineering and genetic modification is that, in genetic engineering, foreign DNA is introduced to a cell from an unrelated species while, in genetic modification, the current genetic material is modified to produce a new characteristic. 

Organism 

A genetically-engineered organism is called a transgenic organism while a genetically-modified organism is called a genetically-modified organism. 

Advantages 

Genetically-engineered organisms can produce new products such as antibiotics, enzymes, hormones, etc. while genetically-modified organisms have beneficial properties such as tolerance to drought.

Examples 

Golden rice is an example of a genetically-engineered organism while hybridization and selective breeding are the methods that produce genetically-modified organisms.  

Conclusion 

Genetic engineering is the method of introducing foreign DNA into an organism, which is not related to it. Genetic modification is the alteration of the genome of a particular organism by means of hybridization, selective breeding, genetic engineering, etc. The main difference between genetic engineering and genetic modification is the type of alteration in the genome. 

Reference:

1. “What Is Genetic Modification?” Ministry for the Environment, Available Here

Image Courtesy:

1. “Genetically Engineered Animals” By The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Public Domain) via Flickr
2. “Selective Breeding & Genetic Engineering” By The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Public Domain) via Flickr