genetic engineering: Meaning and Definition of

genet'ic engineer'ing

Pronunciation: [key]
— Genetics. Genetics.
  1. the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population.
  2. a technique that produces unlimited amounts of otherwise unavailable or scarce biological product by introducing DNA isolated from animals or plants into bacteria and then harvesting the product from a bacterial colony, as human insulin produced in bacteria by the human insulin gene. Also called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.