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IWF introduction of organisations whichcanbecontactedforfurtherinformation. engineering offarmanimals. At theendof worksheets there isaglossaryandlist the videoandexplore thewiderwelfare andethicalimplications ofthegenetic The supportmaterialswillenablestudentsandteachers todiscusstheissuesraised in that they could:- The videoalsoquestionstheclaimedbenefitsofgeneticallyengineered animals, namely genetic engineeringoffarmanimalsby asking:- genetic engineeringtocreate newformsoffarmanimals. Itgoesontodiscussthe maintain thecurrent emphasisonfactoryfarming,adoptthefree-range approach oruse The videobeginsby lookingatthechoicesfacingfarmingtoday, askingifwewantto . animals andraise ethicalissuesabouttheuseoftheserecent developmentsin The videoandnotesdiscussthewelfare implicationsofthegeneticengineeringfarm , ReligiousEducation, Personal &SocialEducationandGeneral Studies. The materialissuitableforarange ofabilitiesfrom ages14to18inEnglish,, worksheets. This resource packconsistsofavideo,posterinformationsheetsandclassroom activity produce transplant organs produce humanmedicines be diseaseresistant be more productive Is itthefuture we want? Is itnecessary? Is GeneticEngineeringCruel? What isGeneticEngineering? Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals

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IWF genetic engineering egg-laying hens broiler chickens turkeys selective breeding from brittleboneswhichcan easily leadtobonefractures. of exercise, thismakes theirbonesverybrittle. Upto 70% ofhens kept incagessuffer egg shellsandthehens’bones). Thehenslosealotofcalciumand,coupled withlack fowl ofsouth-eastAsia, lays 12-24eggsayear. (Calciumisanimportantmineral in and thisputsastrain onthehens’calciumreserves. Theancestorofthehen,jungle Modern egg-laying henshavebeenselectivelybred toproduce around 300 eggs ayear insemination. result, nearlyallturkey breeding onfactoryfarmshastotake place through artificial naturally. Themalebirds are toobigandheavy tobeable‘mount’thefemales. As a which selectivebreeding hasproduced makes itimpossibleforturkeys tobreed lot ofpressure onthehipjointsandthiscanresult inchronic pain.Theshapeofbody their bodiesasquicklypossible. Theheavyweightoftheturkey’s bodycanleadtoa Like broiler chickens, turkeys havealsobeenbred todevelopasmuchmeat(muscle)on meaty bodiescannotbesupportedby theirweakskeletons. Many more broilers suffersevere andcripplinglamenessproblems becausetheirhuge and dieeachyear. (We slaughter700 millionbroiler chickens eachyear intheUK). too fastfortheirheartsandlungs. As aresult, several millionbirds suffer heartfailure twice asfast30 years ago.Thisfastgrowth rate meansthatmany broilers are growing the chickens reared formeat,noteggs)reaches slaughterweightinjust42days. Thisis As aresult ofselectivebreeding (andrichdiets)themodernbroiler chicken (broilers are some ofwhichare detailedhere. Even so,selectivebreeding hasresulted inseriouswelfare problems forfarmanimals, animals thanisthemodificationofspecificgenes, asisdoneintransgenic research. . Becauseofthis, selectivebreeding islesslikely toproduce adverse effectsinthe Selective breeding iscarriedoutfortheselectionof‘traits’, rather thanforindividual Up until10-15 years agogeneticmanipulationwasachievedby selectivebreeding. speed uptheprocess ofselectivebreeding considerably. laying increases enormously. Ourmodernunderstanding ofgeneticshasenabledus to offspring may welllay many eggs. Repeatthisprocess overmany generations and egg cross thechickens whichlay themosteggswithcockerels whosemothers laidwell,the that produce more milk,etc. Farmers haverealised forthousandsofyears thatifyou Selective breeding canproduce fastergrowing chickens, henswhichlay more eggs, cows Genetic & Engineering Farm Information Sheet1 Animals C 3 TRUST

IWF genetic engineering dairy cows cattle pigs painful udderdisease). and alsomeansthatmany dairycowssufferfrom lamenessandmastitis (ahighly animals undermetabolicstress, predisposing themtoarange ofnutrientdeficiencies, which givemuchmore milkthantheircalveswouldnaturally consume. Thisplacesthe Selective breeding hasalsobeenpractised ondairycows, inorder toproduce animals As aresult, thecowsoftenendure several caesarean birthsduringtheirlifetime. Belgian Bluecalvesare frequently unabletogivebirthnaturally asthecalvesare toobig. larger, heaviermusclesatthehindquarters. Thismeans that cowscarryingthese breeding ofbeefanimals. Thisbreed hasbeenbred for‘doublemuscling’whichleadsto The BelgianBluebreed isanexampleoftheproblems associatedwithselective Once again,muscledevelopmenthasbeenthegoalofselectivebreeding inbeefcattle. even young pigscansufferheartattacks. and legproblems. They alsogrow soquicklythattheirheartsandlungscannotcope, so growth rate oftherest oftheirbodies. As aresult, pigsoftensufferfrom painfuljoint muscles (meat).Like broiler chickens, thepigs’legscannotkeep pacewiththerapid Selective breeding hasbeenusedtodeveloppigsthatgrow rapidly anddevelopheavy Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals C 4 TRUST

IWF genetic engineering genetic engineering These are themainreasons: Why doscientistswant toproduce transgenic farmanimals? benefit totheanimalsthemselves. So there canbealotofsurgery fordonorandrecipient animals, performedforno operation. animal). Oftentheextraction andimplantationofeggs andembryos isdoneby surgical to a microscope. Theegg isthenputintothewombofafostermotherwhowillgivebirth called micro-injection; theeggisverysmallandwhole process isdoneunderthe from adifferent species(oranaltered genefrom thesamespecies).Thisprocess is the womb, where fertilisationusuallyoccurs). Thisfertilisedeggisinjectedwithanew artificial insemination A femaleanimal’s eggwhichhasalready beenfertilisedby amalesperm(oftenby How are thegenestransferred from onespeciestoanother? and soon. genes willalsobeanimportantfactorindetermininghowtallandbigyou willgrow inherited your particulareye orhaircolourfrom your parents orgrandparents. Your characteristics. Genesare passedonthrough generations. You, forexample, willhave carry theinformationabouthowwelook,someofourbehaviourpatternsandother Genes are chemicalmessengers madefrom acomplexchemicalcalledDNA.Genes What are genes? (displaying “desirable” traits) are bred withoneanother. therefore notthesameasselectivebreeding, where animalsofthesamespecies animal andinsertingthemintoacompletelydifferent species. Geneticengineeringis Farm animalgeneticengineeringusuallyinvolvestakinggenesfrom onespeciesof TRANSGENIC operations. To produce animalswhoseorgans mightbeusedinhumantransplant medicines. To produce animalswhichmake intheirmilk/bloodforhuman intensive farmingsystems. To make farmanimalsresistant todiseaseswhichare usuallycommonin aim tomake animalsgrow fasterandproduce lessfattymeat. To increase theamountofmilk,meatetcproduced by ananimal.Scientists animal (anthathasbeengivenagenefrom another ) istaken from theoviduct(thetubeleadingfrom theovaryto Genetic & Engineering Farm Information Sheet2 Animals C 5 TRUST

IWF genetic engineering When were thefirst transgenic animalsproduced? have beenmaderesistant were insteadmadetogetthedisease. butasyet there are nosuccessfulexamples. Chickens whichwere thought to Attempts are beingmadetogeneticallyengineerfarmanimalsmake themresistant to Will geneticengineeringprotect animalsfrom disease? get thesefailures soldasordinary meat. get incorporated properly, and lotsof‘failures’ canbeborn.Scientistshaveappliedto Calves havegrown toobigtobebornnaturally. Andofcourse oftenthegenedoesn’t Frequently not.Geneticallyengineered lambsdevelopedadiabetes-like condition. Are these experimentssuccessful? transgenic chicken withaddedcowgrowth . already sufferbecausethey grow soquickly-imaginethewelfare problems ofthe with acowgrowth hormonegenehasbeendeveloped.Modern broiler chickens Poultry are beingengineered toproduce more meatand eggs. Atransgenic chicken What aboutgeneticallyengineered poultry? milk -e.g. tomake itmore like humanmilkormore suitableformakingcheese. milk astoday’s highyieldingcow. Scientistsare alsotryingtoalterthenature ofthe milk. Oneresearcher hasalready predicted muchlarger cowsproducing twiceasmuch Dairy cowscanalsobegivengrowth hormonegenesso thatthey willproduce more How isgeneticengineeringaffectingcows? hormone genewere lame, withdamagedvision,andheartkidney problems. some terriblefailures. IntheUSA, pigsthatwere bornwithanextra bovinegrowth These characteristics shouldalsobepassedontothepiglets. However, there havebeen genes). Thetransgenic pigshouldgrow more quicklyandproduce lessfattymeat. genes, (eithermore ofthepiggrowth hormonegene, orcowhumangrowth hormone Growth rates canbespeededupinanimalslike pigsby insertingextra growth hormone The first transgenic farmanimals(sheepandpigs)were produced in1985. Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals C 6 TRUST

IWF genetic engineering What isanimal‘pharming’? Combining themcouldbeadisasterforfarmanimals. and geneticengineering-haveverypoortrack records, intermsof animal welfare. the first geneticallyengineered farmanimalclone. Bothofthesetechniques - cloning Scientists havenowbeguntocombinethetechniquesof deliveries havebeenachievedby caesarean section. embryos are thenplaced,againsurgically, intothesurrogate motherewes. Some later thesetemporary ‘fostermothers’ are killed,and theembryos removed. The embryos are sometimesthenplaced,surgically, intemporary recipient sheep.Sixdays hormone injections, followedby surgery tohavetheeggcellsremoved. Cloned And lotsofsurgical interventionisrequired. Thesheepthatdonateeggcellsundergo the deadfoetuses, onexamination,were foundtohaveabnormalliverdevelopment. which Dollywasproduced, 148outof156implantedembryos failedtosurvive. Two of is thefirst mammalclonedfrom thenucleusofanadultcell.Inexperimentsin single parent. AsheepnamedDolly, announcedby scientistsinScotlandearly1997, Cloning istheproduction ofagroup ofgeneticallyidenticalindividuals, derivedfrom a What iscloning? (although wedonotthinkitshouldbesoldinthefirst place). Not yet. CIWFTrust believesthatifsuchmeatissolditshouldbeclearlylabelled Is meatfrom geneticallyengineered animalsonsale? their ideasonmany smallanimalssuchasmiceandrabbits. scientists starttestingtheirnewtechniquesonlarge animalslike sheep,they ‘tryout’ several years ofteststoseeiftheprotein willbeusefulagainstemphysema. Before the produced ithasnotyet beenshowntobeeffectiveorsafe. Thismeansthere willbe treat thelungdiseaseemphysema) inthemilkofsheep.Althoughprotein hasbeen Experiments are beingcarriedouttoproduce aprotein calledAAT (whichisusedto . Thesamegroup ofscientiststhatproduced Dollyhavenowcreated Polly - Genetic & Engineering genetic engineeringand Farm Animals

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IWF genetic engineering natural selection-arelated concept same relative extent,the average mother wouldproduce 6 -7 carry. Interestingly, ifhumans hadbeenselectivelybred for milk production tothe up to20 to25litres of milkwillaccumulatein the udders, a hugeweightforthemto ancestors did.Becausethey are separated from theircalfandonlymilked twiceaday, extra milk.However, cattlenowproduce upto tentimesmore milkthantheir can befedlarger amountsofmore concentrated foodstoreplace whatislostinthe If theselectivebreeding ismoderate, thiswon’t necessarilycausesuffering.Thecattle example, selectingcattlewhichproduce more milk. Artificial Selection Selective breeding isavariationonNatural Selection;infactitissometimescalled Breeding Our understanding ofnatural selectioncanhelpustounderstand why passed from generation togeneration. between theneedsofmotherandcalfwhichoptimiseschancesgenesbeing These examplesare somewhatfanciful,butNatural Selectiondoesresult inabalance reduction inmilkyield. Either way, shewillproduce fewercalves. InthiscaseNatural Selectionwillleadtoa without givingbirthtorecover herstrength. depleted. Shemightnotsurvivethenextwinterordryseason.needayear produce it.Herreserves offat, andessentialelementssuchascalciummightbe Producing allthismilkmightweaken themotherifshecouldnotfindenoughfoodto The calveswouldgrow particularlywell,thoughthey mightnotneedallthismilk. Suppose wehaveabreed ofwildcattlewhichproduced 8-10 litres ofmilkperday. compromise thehealthofmother. However, Natural Selectionwillnotgoonincreasing milkyieldforever sincethiswould called Over many generations, cattlewouldevolvewhichproduced more milk.Thisprocess is themselves, andwouldpassthetendency toproduce more milkontotheiroffspring. than thosewhichproduced less. They wouldalsobemore likely toreproduce of mothers whoproduced slightlymore than4-5litres wouldbemore likely tosurvive However, notallcowsintheherd wouldproduce thesameamountofmilk.Thecalves would beundernourishedandmany ofthemwouldnotsurvive. Suppose wehaveabreed ofwildcattlewhichproduce only2- does sheproduce thisamount? A cownaturally produces enoughmilkforhercalf-maybe 4-5litres aday. Why Natural Selection (and also . Here, humans changetheselectionpressures artificiallyby, for Genetic Engineering and isanimportantpartofthe Genetic ) canresult inanimalsuffering. & Engineering Theory ofEvolution. Farm 1 / 2 litres ofmilk aday, 1 / 2 litres. Theircalves Information Sheet3 Selective Animals C 8 TRUST

IWF genetic engineering None ofthesewouldreproduce naturally! 3. 2. 1. them tosurviveandreproduce. Insomecasesthisistaken toextremes: losing thetraits wehaveselectedfor. We have to goconsiderable lengthstohelp Few animalsthathavebeenselectivelybred wouldsurviveforlonginthewildwithout It ispossibletospeculatethatthiswouldhaveimplicationsforherwelfare. to subjectanimals togeneticengineering. We cannotprevent natural spontaneous mutations, butwecan choose whetherornot often results insufferingand/ordeathtotheanimalswhose genomeweoperate on. Our knowledgeoftheeffects ofmutationshelpsustoexplainwhy geneticengineering were amongstthesideeffects. ordination andvision,lameness, boneandjointproblems, andliver kidney damage Beltsville PiggiventhegeneforBovineGrowth Hormoneisaclassicexample. Poor co- animal DNA,theconsequencesforcan be veryhard topredict. The of itsadditionoftenisrandom. Sincewedon’tknowthefunctionof98%orsofarm Whilst thechoiceofgeneislessrandom inthecaseofgeneticengineering, location it tospread through thegenepool. Occasionally, by chance, a“beneficial”mutationoccurs andNatural Selectionwillcause harmful andresult insufferingand/ordeath.Natural Selectionweedsthemout. These mutationsare random changesingenes. Not surprisingly, thevastmajority are New geneshavetoappearandthesehappenby mutation. Natural SelectionorSelectiveBreeding alonecannotexplainhowspecieshaveevolved. Genetic Mutation and holdapproximately 1 generation butforArtificialInsemination. Male turkeys are toolarge andclumsy tomate. There wouldbenonext Caesarean Section. Belgian Bluecattlewouldoftendie, orlosetheircalves, inlabourbutfor chickens sufferterriblyfrom hungerintheprocess. so they grow more slowlyandcansurvivetoreproduce. Many believethatthese They getround theproblem by keeping theirbreeding stockon“reduced rations” problem forthosewhowanttobreed broilers! would rarely survivelongenoughtoreproduce. Not surprisingly, thisisquitea live muchlonger. Theirbodiesare toolarge fortheirlife-supportsystems. They They reach slaughterweightin6-7weeks. Ifspared from slaughter, they rarely The broiler chicken. Thesehavebeenbred sothatthey grow fastandeatalot. 1 / 2 - 2litres ofmilkineachmammaryglandbefore milking. Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals C 9 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TRUST

IWF genetic engineering 2. 1. Are youaLuddite? The familydebate-anideaforcreative writing(orrole play) )against geneticengineeringofanimalsbutdon’tbelieve you are aLuddite. c) definitelynota Luddite aboutgeneticengineeringofanimals, or b) aLuddite aboutgeneticengineeringofanimals, or a) Tell usin300 words why you are: is usedtoday. who theLudditeswere (clue:early19thcenturyBritish history)andhowtheexpression People whoare againstgeneticengineeringare oftentoldthey are “Luddites”. Findout Janet: Ican’twait totellyou allwhathappenedtoday! Listentothis..... Write apieceofdialogue(orenactrole-play) beginning: Imagine howeachfamilymemberreacts toJanet’s news -andhowshereacts tothem! God”. Bob isanactivememberofhislocalchurch andhasstrong viewson“manplaying Lisa isavegetarianandbelongstolocalanimalrightsgroup. Husband Johnlikes foreign holidays andfastcars. lot ofmoney from it. year andmake more money. Sheisgoingtopatentherinventionandhopesmake a faster. They canbe slaughtered soonerandtherefore farmers willkillmore chickens per husband andteenagechildren (Bob15andLisa17)thatnowchickens willgrow even managed totransfer somecattlegrowth hormonegenesintoachicken. Shetellsher The scene:JanetCooper, ageneticengineer, arriveshomeveryexcited.Shehas Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals SHEET NO. 1 C 10 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TRUST

IWF genetic engineering 3. Group discussiontopics c) b) a) choose acharacter andhaveadiscussiononyour chosensubject: Get intogroups of4or5(or8forNo. 3).Usingoneofthefollowingsituations, animal welfare, consumers, customers.) (Key words: opportunity, challenge, publicacceptability, fear, risk, profit, Brenda Griffiths, arepresentative from aleadingsupermarket chain Professor HenryMacdonald, aconsultanttotheDepartmentofHealth Jack Maitland, arepresentative oftheMeat Sellers’ Association Cindy Miller, aPRperson forthecompany sellingthepigs Ted Waddell, arepresentative ofananimalwelfare group Frances Murphy, arepresentative ofaconsumer association pigs were developed Dr HariSingh,arepresentative oftheuniversity where thegeneticallyengineered Professor Mary Baird, chairperson ofthecommittee In thediscussion: pigs. (Thepigshaveacattlegrowth hormonegeneandgrow fasterandleaner.) should advisetheMinistertoallowsaleofmeatfrom geneticallyengineered (Group of8)Agovernmentadvisorycommitteemeetstodiscusswhetherthey risk, animalwelfare.) somatotropin), mastitis, agribusinesscompanies, milkyield,, profits, their children, Brynwhois17andSîan,14.(Key words: BST(bovine from theircows. They discussthiswithMrShah,theirveterinarysurgeon, and engineered cowgrowth hormoneinjections(BST)toincrease theamountofmilk Dairy farmers GwenandDavidJoneshavebeenadvisedtousegenetically viruses, animalwelfare.) Dave, 16andCindy, 13.(Key words: hopes, fears, worry, love, death, risk, discusses thesituationwithhiswife, Natalie, andteenagechildren, Pat who’s 18, first humanrecipient intheUKofaheartfrom ageneticallyengineered pig.He No human hearts are availablefortransplant. Possibly hecouldchoosetobethe Family of4or5.BrianJackson, thefather, aged42,hassevere heartdisease. Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals SHEET NO. 2 C 11 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TRUST

IWF genetic engineering 4. genetic engineeringissues Notes onuseofcards onselectivebreeding and e) d) c) b) a) Suggested lessonoutline. WHERE DOYOU DRAW THELINE? Have awholeclassdiscussion. issues. Decide where they draw thelineonselectivebreeding andgeneticengineering appropriate. Ask studentstodiscussthevideointheirgroups andtorearrange thecards as Show video. shades ofopinioninbetween! extreme righthandside. Cards they feelneutral aboutgointhemiddle, withall the extreme lefthandsideofthedesk.Totally unacceptablecards goonthe the table. Ifthey believethecontentsare totallyacceptablethey putthecard on Hand outcards andaskstudentsworkingintwos, threes orfours toputthemon Cards shouldbecutupinadvance. Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals SHEET NO. 3

Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

SHEET NO. 4 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES genetic engineering (1)

Genetically engineering sheep so their milk Genetically engineering contains human proteins which can be used in pigs so their organs can medicine be used for transplants

Sheep are being genetically engineered to produce AAT, a Pig hearts might be able, in the future, to be used to save medicine which could be used to treat , and people with heart disease. But should we risk the the lung disease emphysema. possibility of transferring dangerous viruses from pigs into the human population? But is it right that sheep and human And genetic engineering is very genes should be mixed unpredictable - what about the in this way? And should experiments on pigs that don’t work surgery be used on properly? sheep which is of no benefit to the sheep themselves?

Genetically Patenting of engineering a animals larger mouse If an animal is patented not only it This has no use in itself but it was but its offspring belongs to developed as a way of practising the technology. the person who genetically They want larger farm animals, engineered it. This will but it is quicker and encourage the cheaper to practise commercialisation of genetic on mice. engineering. Should animals be treated as property like this? As with all transgenic animals, several have to be operated on to produce one transgenic mouse. If the procedure is successful it will still have to be repeated on farm animals.

A Ban on Inserting a gene into Genetic Engineering of soya beans so they are Farm Animals resistant to weedkiller

Scientists say that genetic engineering can The weedkiller can then be applied deliver benefits for mankind. to the , killing weeds without killing the crop. Animal welfarists say that it can cause animals to suffer. Will it lead to increased use of weedkillers? Could the Should farm animal genetic gene ‘escape’ from the soya engineering be banned? beans into weeds, making weeds immune to weedkiller? Is this a risk worth taking?

Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

SHEET NO. 5 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES genetic engineering (2)

Engineering a sheep Engineering pigs which produces with the human thicker wool haemoglobin gene

This would increase wool Pigs have been engineered with a small production meaning greater percentage of human haemoglobin in profits for farmers and lower their blood. The idea is to prices for the consumer. be able to use pig blood for human transfusions. It might interfere with the sheep’s metabolism and well-being. An A great many pigs would need to extra thick coat might be experimented upon to mean heat stress for the develop such a medical technique. There would still be fears of animal; after shearing the greater unknown pig viruses spreading to man. If it were successful change in temperature might then result in greater cold stress. pigs might need to be kept in sterile conditions with the likelihood that their lives would be barren and dull.

Inserting a growth hormone Injecting cows with BST to increase from cows into pigs so milk yield they may grow bigger

It is hoped that this Bovine Somatotropin might mean cheaper pig meat. In (BST) is a genetically practice, it hasn’t worked so engineered hormone far. which can be injected into cows to increase milk yield. It Pigs born with the gene should make it easier for farmers have to increase milk output. suffered chronic arthritis and have had to be put down to save Unfortunately cows already suffer from the excessive amounts them further suffering. of milk they have been bred to produce and to carry. BST may worsen lameness and mastitis, two conditions associated with high milk yield.

Genetically engineering tomatoes so they ripen more slowly

Tomatoes have been genetically engineered for ‘delayed ripening’. It prolongs their shelf-life - but do people really want this?

Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

SHEET NO. 6 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES selective breeding

Selectively breeding Selectively breeding pigs for leaner meat wheat for a higher yield

There is a consumer demand for this for reasons.

However, it may not be good Food will be cheaper. It will for the pig. be easier to feed people in Fat helps insulate the pig poorer parts of the world. from the cold. Changes The new wheats may need which affect the greater use of chemicals. homeostatic mechanisms of the pig may cause suffering.

Breeding Breeding a chicken to grow chickens without faster feathers

This means the farmer Some attempts to keep chickens can grow more chickens intensively in hot countries per year. The price of have failed because the chickens chicken should be less. died in the heat. In fact heat can be a problem in broiler sheds in the UK in Fast-growing chickens mid-summer. may have trouble standing, suffer from Featherless chickens might be able to weak hearts and survive in the heat. What their life would be chronic pain. like in hot crowded sheds is another matter.

Breeding cows to Breeding turkeys produce more milk with larger breasts

People like to eat the white meat of the turkey This helps farmers produce a greater breast. It helps keep the price of turkey quantity of milk more meat down, but the turkey pays the price. cheaply.

Carrying the extra weight makes it It places considerable strain hard for the turkey to walk, and causes on the cow. The weight of milk in the painful hip problems. It makes it udder can make it difficult impossible for the male turkey to mate for the cow to walk. This and means that females have to be causes lameness. Higher milk yields may subjected to the stress and be associated with mastitis - a painful discomfort of artificial inflammation of the udder. insemination.

Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

SHEET NO. 7 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES Surgical and Physiological Manipulations of Farm Animals

Artificially Artificially inseminating inseminating turkeys cattle

This means the farmer does not have to keep a bull, which is costly. It also increases Large-breasted birds are the number of offspring that a bull with too big to walk easily, particular characteristics can have. and they cannot mate successfully. Without It means that the cow has to be artificial insemination it restrained for an intensive would not be possible to procedure. The bulls kept to breed birds like this. produce semen are often isolated from the company of their own kind.

Transferring embryos into cattle so that Cloning a Sheep the calves produce better beef

A dairy cow can give Quality sheep can be birth to a beef calf. produced to order, and their This means better and embryos placed cheaper beef. inside a surrogate mother by embryo transfer. The operation may involve pain and The operation may be stressful discomfort for the cow. for the sheep and cause pain afterwards. All the young In the UK an anaesthetic could be susceptible to the is required by law. same .

Breeding cattle which often have Cloning beef to be born by Caesarean Section cattle

Steaks are not all the same. If you know a Belgian Blue cattle are particular cow or bull produces particularly good “double-muscled” at the steak, then the clones back. This means they should be the same. produce extra meat. But many cloned calves Unfortunately, it means that their are abnormal, growing to twice rear quarters are often too the normal size at birth. 10% of large for the calves to be born naturally cloned calves have other and they frequently have to be delivered by Caesarean abnormalities, for example joint Section. problems. Cloning also involves subjecting cows to embryo transfer.

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IWF genetic engineering 5. quote/unquote How muchdoestheclassresult varyfrom your originalgroup choices? Compare your results withothergroups andthenworkouta general result fortheclass. disagree withthevariouspointsbeingmade?Perhaps you couldrank theminorder of- or agree you Do about, geneticengineering.Discussthesequotesinsmallgroups (4-5). Below are variousstatementsmadeby eminentpeopleeitherinvolvedwith,orconcerned 17th November 1995 biotechnology, Conference Proceedings, Consumers’ International,TheNetherlands, 16- Dr MichaelHansen(Consumers Union,USA), Food oftheFuture: therisksandrealities of can have unexpectedresults.” that recognises ourrelative lackofknowledgeandthatgeneticengineering results madewithinacontext unpredictable. Allpolicy shouldtherefore be genes, theprocess ofinsertionandexpression isstillvery imprecise, andits “While thescientists have learntto beprecise abouttheway they replicate p222 Dr Tony Sargent, in“Animal RightsandWrongs”, London, 1996:HodderandStoughton, condition them‘internally’,anabsoluteformofslavery.” he seekstoshares thisworld. Hehascontrolled them‘externally’; now “Transgenic animalsillustrate man’s finalviolationofthosewithwhomhe HRH thePrinceofWales, The1996LadyEveBalfourMemorial Lecture, London19.9.96 stopping to askwhetheritissomethingwe shouldbedoinginthefirst place.” time tryingto establish whetherornotitislikely to besafe, withoutever most ofourtimeestablishing whatistechnicallypossible, andthenalittle Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree “At themoment,asissooftencasewithtechnology, we seemto spend Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals SHEET NO. 8 C 17 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TRUST

IWF genetic engineering 5. quote/unquote Dr. ElaineDzierzak,in“Animal GeneticEngineering”,London,1995:PlutoPress, p181- 2 devastating disease.” useful inthelongrunfordeveloping newtherapies forthetreatment ofthis The animalsalsoshowintestinalobstructionsso such animalswillbevery affects theirsizeaswell astheirlungs, inwhichalotofmucusaccumulates. “When thegeneresponsible for cystic fibrosis isintroduced into miceit Dr Kevin Ward, in“Animal GeneticEngineering”,London,1995:PlutoPress, p41 between speciesasappropriate.” entire resource ofgeneticinformationinnature isavailable forredistribution of genesacross widedistances ofbiologicalseparation, sothatessentiallythe “...the technique[genetic engineering]provides amechanismforthetransfer Dr Jeremy Rifkin,in“Animal GeneticEngineering”,London,1995:PlutoPress, p35 our values withothercreatures?” pharmaceuticals? Or, dowe restore ourproper relationships andrecentralise animals? Dowe turntheminto chemical‘factories’ fortheproduction of “Do we reduce alllifeto technology?Dowe geneticallyengineer allfarm Xenotransplantation”, London,1997:TheStationeryOffice, p65-66 “Animal TissueintoHumans-Areport bytheAdvisory Group ontheEthicsof humans againstharmbothto thepigandto humans.” further, however, thattheacceptability liesinbalancingthebenefitto pig forxenotransplantation may beethicallyacceptable. We conclude would beexposedto too muchsuffering...We concludethattheuseof primates assource animalsforxenotransplantation, notleastbecausethey “We therefore conclude thatitwould beethicallyunacceptable to use Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals C 18 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TRUST

IWF genetic engineering 5. quote/unquote Sunday Times27.7.97 Joyce D’Silva,Director ofCompassioninWorld Farming, referring tocloning ofsheep. painful birthsandcaesarean operations. Itshould bebanned.” “We believe thiscancausegreat sufferingto theanimalsintermsof Independent 26.1.96 the possibleescapeofgenetically engineered into theenvironment. The Sir CrispinTickell,chairmanofGovernmentAdvisory Panel onBiotechnology,referring to “We are playing notjustwithfire butwithdynamite” Dr GillLangley, in“Animal GeneticEngineering”,London,1995:PlutoPress, p193 cats, dogsandprimatesbecomeinvolved.” mice. We canexpectlevels ofconcernto escalateto enormousheights when to usfrom childhood,isalready greater thantheoppositionto theuseof Public oppositionto geneticengineeringoffarmanimals, creatures familiar genetically manipulatedto develop tumours orpainfulchronic diseases? “How willwe feelabouthundreds oftransgenic dogsandmonkeys being Genetic & Engineering Farm Animals SHEET NO. 9

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IWF genetic engineering 6. Try tosolvethispuzzle 15) 14) 13) 12) Across 7) 8) 4) 2) 14 10 (12) Done artificially toimpregnate afemale its genome(10) Of ananimalwhichhasforeign DNAin yield (5) Grows verylarge incowswithhighmilk species intoanother(7) With 7across, insertinggenesfrom one Like thegeep,halfsheep, (7) See 12across (11) for proteins (5) Inherited from your parents, they code embryo into auterus(6) With 17across, surgically implanting an 16 7 13 11 1 8 2 15 3 17 Genetic 12 1) 11 10) Down 17) 16) 6) 3) 9) 5) 1) 6 Spontaneous change inagene(8) which grows faster(9) With 3down,egdeveloping achicken A chicken grown formeat(7) How foreign genesare addedtoeggs(14) once (14) Making the ovaryproduce lotsofeggsat See 10 down(8) to hermum(7) How Dollybecamegeneticallyidentical See 2across (8) The stuffthatgenesare made of(3) & Engineering 4 Farm 9 Animals SHEET NO. 10 5

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IWF genetic engineering 6. Solution 14 10 C E E E S V T L I 16 7 D R E 13 11 1 M O G O C N U N N A T T L I I G D N A 2 15 8 D C E S I I M G N N H E 3 17 G D N R B R E E E S T I Genetic 12 M G N R R E E M R A E E Y I 6 M O O O C C N N R E T J I I I & Engineering N N A E S 4 Farm G G A T F 9 O R R B E E E T L I C N R Animals I SHEET NO. 11 O E 5 O O N U U R A E P S T V L I

Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

Information Sheet 12 glossary

Agribusiness: that part of the business world which is concerned with .

Amino acids: molecules which link together to form proteins.

Artificial insemination: the procedure whereby female animals are made pregnant using sperm collected previously from males.

Biotechnology: the application of biological systems or processes to the manufacture of specific products. Includes genetic engineering technology.

Broiler: a chicken reared for meat.

BST (bovine somatotropin): a cattle growth promoter. Genetically engineered BST (rBST) is being used in the United States to make cows produce more milk.

Caesarean section: a surgical operation to allow young to be born via an incision made through the abdomen, and into the womb. genetic engineering

21 Chimera: an animal composed of cells that are not all genetically identical, eg the “geep” produced in the 1980s. Part of this animal was goat; part was sheep.

Chromosomes: the thread-like structures which carry the genes, present in the nucleus of every cell in the body.

Cloning: the practice of artificially producing two or more genetically identical organisms.

DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid; a complex informational molecule, in the form of a double-helix, present in the nucleus of all cells; DNA determines the basic characteristics of any ; DNA is composed of sequences of genes; chromosomes contain DNA.

Embryo: an organism in the early stages of pre-natal development.

Embryo transfer: artificially moving an embryo from its natural mother, to a “surrogate” mother, in which the embryo develops to birth.

Evolution: the changes which occur in living things, over thousands of years, brought about by random genetic mutations and the operation of natural selection. CIWF Foetus: a mammal in the later stages of pre-natal development. Gene: the smallest segment of DNA controlling an inheritable trait. TRUST Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

glossary

Genetic engineering: the direct manipulation of the genetic material of an organism, in order to affect the organism’s biochemical characteristics, and thus its development.

Genome: the total genetic information carried by the chromosomes of an organism; every cell generally contains the full genome.

Genotype: the genetic make-up of an organism, as determined by the set of genes that it carries.

Homeostasis: the physiological process whereby internal bodily systems (eg body temperature, blood pressure etc) are kept at equilibrium despite changes in external environmental conditions.

Mastitis: a painful disease of the mammary gland in mammals, common in the udders of modern dairy cows bred to produce very large quantities of milk. Injection of cows with rBST is associated with increased levels of mastitis. Breast-feeding human mothers sometimes develop mastitis too. genetic engineering

22 : the introduction of foreign genes into the newly-fertilised eggs of an animal, by direct injection of the foreign DNA into the egg cells.

Mutant: an organism whose genetic material has been modified.

Mutation: any alteration, random or deliberate, to a gene.

Natural selection: the process by which those living things best suited to an environment are the ones which survive; “the survival of the fittest”.

Oocyte: a cell in the ovary which undergoes cell-division to form the ovum, or egg cell.

Oviduct: that part of the female reproductive system which receives the egg from the ovary, and in which fertilisation normally occurs. It leads to the uterus.

Pharming: the deliberate production from genetically engineered animals of proteins which have pharmaceutical (and commercial) importance, such as medicines.

Phenotype: how the products of genes in an animal interact with the environment and affect that animal’s characteristics, eg behaviour, susceptibility to disease, hair-colour.

Proteins: naturally occurring molecules composed of a sequence of amino acids; proteins generally form structural components of an animal, or act as enzymes. Hair is CIWF made up of the protein ‘keratin’. Saliva contains the protein ‘salivary amylase’, an enzyme which assists digestion. TRUST Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

Information Sheet 13 glossary

Recombinant DNA: a hybrid DNA molecule which contains DNA from more than one source.

Selective breeding: the deliberate breeding of two animals, in order to exaggerate a specific characteristic. In this way, broiler chickens have been developed which grow much more quickly than their wild ancestors.

Superovulation: the artificial production of an abnormally large number of egg cells by a female animal. It is most often achieved by giving the female animal a series of hormone injections.

Transgenes: new DNA sequences (either from a different species, or altered sequences from the same species), introduced into an animal with the objective of altering the target animal’s biochemical characteristics, and therefore its development.

Transgenic animal: an animal into which new DNA sequences have been deliberately genetic engineering introduced. 23 Transomics: the introduction of whole new miniature chromosomes into target cells; this technique potentially allows the introduction of significantly larger amounts of genetic material than can be achieved with other techniques such as microinjection.

Virus: a sub-cellular organism which reproduces only inside an appropriate host cell, and outside of which it is totally inert. Made up of a nucleic acid core and a protein shell.

Xenografts: tissues or organs transplanted from one species into an individual of a different species, sometimes called xenotransplants.

Zygote: the product of fertilisation of the ovum by the sperm, and from which the whole organism develops.

CIWF

TRUST Genetic Engineering & Farm Animals

Information Sheet 14 directory of organisations - genetic engineering

Advocates for Animals Greenpeace 10 Queensferry Street Canonbury Villas Edinburgh EH2 4PG London N1 2PN Tel: 0131 2256039 Tel: 020 7865 8100 Fax: 0131 2206377 Fax: 020 7865 8200 Website: www.advocatesforanimals.org.uk Website: www.greenpeace.org.uk British Union for the Abolition of Nuffield Council for Vivisection (BUAV) 28 Bedford Square 16a Crane Grove London WC1B 3JS London N7 8NN Tel: 020 7681 9619 Tel: 020 77004888 Website: www.nuffieldbioethics.org.uk Compassion in World Farming Trust RSPCA Charles House 5a Charles Street Wilberforce Way Petersfield Hampshire GU32 3EH Southwater Horsham Tel: 01730 268070 West Sussex RH13 9RS Fax: 01730 260791 Tel: 0870 3335 999 genetic engineering Website: www.ciwf.org Fax: 0870 7530 284 24 Website: www.rspca.org.uk Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research 84a Tilehouse Street SAFE Alliance Hitchin Herts SG5 2DY Sustain (the alliance for better food and Tel: 01462 436819 farming) Website: www.drhadwentrust.org.uk 94 White Lion Street London N1 9PF Friends of the Earth (FoE) Tel: 020 7837 1228 26 - 28 Underwood Street Fax: 020 7837 1141 London N1 7JQ Website: www.sustainweb.org Tel: 020 7490 1555 Fax: 020 7490 0881 Soil Association Website: www.foe.org.uk Bristol House 40-56 Victoria Street Forum Bristol BS1 6BY 2nd Floor Tel: 0117 929 0661 94 White Lion Street Fax: 0117 925 2504 London N1 9PF Website: www.soilassociation.org Tel: 020 7837 9229 Website: www.geneticsforum.org.uk acknowledgements

John Callaghan - BA, Cert Ed, CBiol, MIBiol, Former Education Director CIWF Trust Joyce D’Silva - BA (Hons), Chief Executive CIWF Trust (Former Head of RE, Bramston School, Witham, Essex) CIWF Dr Tim O’Brien - Former Head of Research CIWF Trust Phil Brooke - BSc (Hons), PGCE, CBiol, MIBiol, Education Officer, CIWF Trust Former Biology Teacher, Stowmarket High School Suffolk. TRUST Compassion inWorld Farming Trust isan educational charity dedicated to advancing farm animal welfare. Registered Charity numb genetic engineering SCIENCE SCIENCE Tel 01730 268070 Compassion inWorld Farming Trust, 5ACharlesSt, Petersfield, Hampshire GU323EH Fax 01730 260791 Email [email protected] fiction fact er 1095050, acompany limited by guarantee, Registered number 4590804. Website www.ciwf.org OR ?