3.8.4.2 Using recombinant gene technology

Question 1

Advantages in agriculture

Answer 1

• produces higher yield (thus food and profit)
• become more nutritious
• become pet resistant
• become herbicide resistant

Question 2

Disadvantages in agriculture

Answer 2

• monoculture reduces biodiversity
• superweeds resistant to herbicides - if herbicide-resistant transformed crops breed with wild plants
• contamination of organic crops by wind blown seeds leading to suing by organic farmers
• ownership issues of patents of particular seeds

Question 3

Advantages in industry

Answer 3

usually genetically modified bacteria

• can be used to produce enzymes e.g. renin in cheese making
• produced in large quantities, relatively cheaply
• in this case without killing cows

Question 4

Disadvantages in industry

Answer 4

• improper labelling of food products containing GM ingredients reduces choice for consumers
• some markets e.g. the EU will no import GM foods causing economic loss to producers

Question 5

Advantages in medicine

Answer 5

usually GM bacteria and viruses

• used to produced drugs and vaccines e.g. insulin for T1 diabetics
• can be produced in large quantities, relatively cheaply, without rejection from animal (e.g. pig insulin)

Question 6

Disadvantages in medicine

Answer 6

• technology could be uses unethically e.g. designer babies

Question 7

What is gene therapy?

Answer 7

• Used to treat inherited human disease
• allele inserted into cells using vector
• occurs in nucleus, copied during DNA replication, replicate new allele during mitosis
• some gene therapies introduce mRNA into target cell - these need to be consistently taken as the mRNA is broken down

Question 8

Somatic gene therapy

Answer 8

• involves targeting of specific cells
• e.g. epithelial cells lining the lungs in cystic fibrosis
• not heritable as it’s not in the sex cells

Question 9

Germ line gene therapy

Answer 9

Involves altering alleles in sex cells so is heritable

Currently illegal internationally

Question 10

How do humanitarians think recombinant DNA technology will benefit people?

Answer 10

• GM crops reduce the risk of famine and malnutrition
• GM crops could be used to produce useful pharmaceutical products e.g. vaccines so drugs could be available to more people
• medicines can be produced more cheaply so more people can afford them
• gene therapy can treat human disease