Consider the following statements:
1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent.
2. A person's genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct Answer: Option D
Explanation
1. Statement 1 is correct. Genetic changes can be introduced in germline cells – the cells that produce eggs or sperms. This process, known as germline gene editing, would result in the changes being passed down to subsequent generations.
2. Statement 2 is correct. Gene editing technologies like CRISPR allow for modifications to a person's genome at the early embryonic stage, before birth. This has been demonstrated experimentally, although it raises significant ethical concerns.
3. Statement 3 is correct. Research has been conducted on creating human-animal chimeras by injecting Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into the embryo of animals like pigs. The goal is often related to studying development or potentially growing human organs for transplantation.
4. Therefore, all three statements describe capabilities that are, at least experimentally, possible with current or near-term biotechnology.
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