Non Infectious diseases

• Down syndrome and diabetes are examples of non-infectious diseases that are not caused by pathogens and are not contagious.
• Recombinant DNA: This technology delivers replacement genes by creating recombinant plasmids in bacteria which then multiply via binary fission.
• This has been used to produce insulin by inserting a copy of the human insulin gene for the treatment of diabetic patients.
• Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing: before IVF, eggs can be tested for various genetic diseases, such as down syndrome or cystic fibrosis.

Infectious diseases

• These diseases are caused by pathogens.
• The genetic makeup of organisms can be altered to lower risk of such diseases.
• Transgenic Organisms involve technology that combines genes from other species to incorporate certain characteristics.
• For example, Recombinant Bt corn contains a gene that is toxic to the destructive European corn borer. This will protect the corn and reduce the occurence of the associated infectious disease in humans.