Genetic mutation and transgenic organisms are two important concepts in genetics, but they refer to different processes.
A genetic mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism’s genome. This change can occur naturally due to errors in DNA replication or due to environmental factors. Mutations can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral, and they contribute to genetic diversity within a population. For example, a mutation in a gene might lead to a new trait that helps an organism survive better in its environment.
On the other hand, transgenic organisms are those that have been genetically engineered to contain genes from other species. This is achieved through biotechnological methods such as recombinant DNA technology, where specific genes are inserted into an organism’s genome. Transgenic organisms have applications in agriculture (for instance, crops engineered for pest resistance) and medicine (such as producing insulin in genetically modified bacteria).
In summary, the key difference is that genetic mutations are natural changes within an organism’s own DNA, while transgenic organisms are modified through human intervention to include DNA from different species.