6.4.4: Introduction to biotechnology

Question 1

What is biotechnology?

Answer 1

• The use of living organisms or parts of living organisms in industrial processes.
• This could be to produce food, drugs or other products.

Question 2

Give examples of old examples of biotechnology:

Answer 2

• Production of beer or ale 7000 years ago.
• making yogurt and cheese
• baking

Question 3

What are the four main areas in which microorganisms are used in biotechnology?

Answer 3

• Food
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• Enzymes
• Other products

Question 4

Give examples of how microorganisms are used in food production:

Answer 4

-Ethanol, beer and wine.
(yeast s.crevisiae)
-CO2 used to make bread rise.
(yeast s.crevisiae)
-Lactic acid to make yogurt and cheese.(lactobacillus bacteria)
-Microprotein- a filamentous fungus protein used to make vegetarian food.
-Soya, soya beans are fermented to produce soy sauce.
(yeast or Aspergillus)

Question 5

Give examples of how microorganisms are used in the production of pharmaceutical drugs.

Answer 5

-Penicillin 
(penecillum fungus)
-Other antibiotics 
(Other fungi and bacteria)
-Insulin, other therapeutic human proteins
(genetically modified bacteria)

Question 6

What are some advantages to using microorganisms in biotechnology?
Cost related

Answer 6

• Cheap and easy to grow.
• lower temp. needed, saves fuel, reduces cost.
• Normal pressure needed, safer, cheaper
• Product more pure, easier to isolate than conventional genetic engineering processes, lower downstream production cost.

Question 7

What are some advantages to using microorganisms in biotechnology?
Ease of use related

Answer 7

• Production process not dependent on climate so can take place anywhere in the world.
• microorganisms fed by-products from other food industries e.g. starch, waste water, molasses.
• short lifecycle, reproduce quickly, large populations can be grown in reaction vessel (fermenter).
• Easy to genetically modify.
• Few ethical considerations.

Question 8

Why are products easy to harvest when using microorganisms?

Answer 8

Products released into surrounding medium, product easy to harvest.

Question 9

How can mammals also be genetically modified to produce useful proteins?

Answer 9

• Goat possesses gene for spider silk, secreted into milk, easily harvested.
• Cows gm to synthesise human antibodies, can be isolated from their blood.