1. Selective Breeding
Selecting few organisms with desired traits to be parents of the next generation
Techniques
Inbreeding: crossing two individuals with identical or similar alleles to produce specific traits. This can increase the chance of inheriting genetic disorders...so you gotta be careful. Dogs breeders and cattle folks do this.
Hybridization: crossing two individuals with different traits, so offspring might get the best traits of both. Used in agriculture.

2. Cloning
Clones are genetically identical to the organisms from which they are produced.
Plants: a horticulturist or botanist can cut a small piece of plant, replant, and grow a new plant
Animals: egg from one animal, has its nucleus replaced with nucleus from another. This egg is implanted in a third animal and gestated.

3. …we’re so awesome  Well…ummm…sometimes anyway.
Genetic Engineering
The genes (specific segments of DNA) from one organism are transferred into DNA sequence of another. This is called “gene splicing.”
Bacteria: insert DNA from another organism into a bacterial cell. You get the bacteria to do the work (such as manufacturing human insulin).
Other organisms: we can take the genes from one organism and insert them into another. Coolio…right? “Like…how?” Like we can insert human genes for blood clotting into cows, who in turn, produce blood clotting factor (a protein). Then we can extract it and use it to treat hemophilia.
…we’re so awesome  Well…ummm…sometimes anyway.

4. Gene Therapy
This is when genes are really depressed or angry and need to talk to someone to “let it all out.” Did you write that? Don’t you feel a little ridiculous?
The real skinny…We insert working copies of gene into the DNA of people who have a genetic disorder in hope that it will do the job. For example…Insert a gene for certain protein that ensures proper lung function into a virus. The virus then produces the missing protein. We “infect” an afflicted person with the virus to help cure their cystic fibrosis.
It’s difficult and still being developed, but…we’re gettin’ there…more cool points for us.

5. The Human Genome Project
Genome: all DNA in a cell of an organism
The goal was to identify each base-pair sequence in human DNA (3,000,000,000) and all thousand genes.
Information leads to better understanding and treatment/ prevention strategies
Finished in April 2003.
The real goal is to decode the human PROTENOME…that’s all of our proteins…cuz that’s the essence of what we are!

6. The human genome contains 3164
The human genome contains million nitrogenous bases (A, C, T, and G).
The average gene consists of 3000 bases, but sizes vary greatly, with the largest known human gene being dystrophin at 2.4 million bases.
The total number of genes is estimated at 30,000
Almost all (99.9%) nucleotide bases are exactly the same in all people.
The functions are unknown for over 50% of discovered genes.
Less than 2% of the genome codes for proteins.

7. Many mutations are harmless…some…not so much.
When sumpin’ just ain’t right wit da DNA.
Many mutations are harmless…some…not so much.
We’ve identified about 1.4 million locations where mutations occur in our DNA. That’s almost as many locations as Starbucks has.
This can help to find chromosomal locations for disease-associated sequences and tracing human history.
The ratio of gamete (sperm or egg cell) mutations is 2:1 in males vs females. Way to go guys.
Why the higher mutation rate in the male? Well a few reasons including the greater number of cell divisions required for sperm formation than for eggs.