Transfection introduces nucleic acids into a eukaryotic cell without a virus. There are two types: transient and stable. Transformation and transduction are similar processes. These techniques are used in genetic research and could help cure diseases and improve the human body.
Transfection is the process of introducing certain nucleic acids into a eukaryotic cell by means other than a virus. Nucleic acids commonly used in transfection include DNA, RNA, and proteins, among other materials. Eukaryotic cells, such as those found in humans, contain the nucleus and other complex structures within a membrane, unlike prokaryotic cells which do not. While a virus has the potential to transmit these foreign elements across a cell’s membrane and into the cell, transfection uses different methods than a virus does for transmission. This method is a key technique used by scientists in genetic research to determine how adding a certain DNA or other foreign material will affect the cell.
There are two main types of transfection: transient transfection and stable transfection. In transient transfection, DNA is brought into the cell but the cell discards it before dividing into a new cell. Therefore, the new DNA material is not transferred to the new cells and they are not affected.
In stable transfections, the new DNA becomes part of the cell’s original DNA by adding or replacing a piece of the old DNA. When the cell makes new copies of itself, the new DNA is passed on. It enters the nucleus and binds to old DNA to make a new DNA strand. This is a rare occurrence, as the cell typically sheds new material sometime after it enters, but before the cell forms new cells. Despite this, scientists are constantly finding new ways to do this process in experiments to study how the new DNA affects cell copies.
Similar processes known as transformation and transduction refer to transfection by the transfer of DNA or other matter into the cell. When a virus transfers new DNA into a cell, this is called transduction. The transformation does not involve a virus, but is instead the transfer of DNA into plant cell types, bacteria, and eukaryotic cells found outside of human and animal cells. They all go through the same process, but the terms vary based on the carrier, whether virus or non-virus, and the type of cell receiving the new DNA.
Gene research, experimentation, and therapy all rely on these processes to study the effects of DNA, RNA, and various proteins on human cells. In the future, this process could help cure diseases, fix genetic mutations, and help improve the human body in general. Scientists continue to make great strides in the search for healthier people who live longer.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
