B7 - Industrial Use of Microorganisms & Genetic Modification Flashcards
Why is it good for industry that microorganisms reproduce rapidly?
It means products can be made quickly
Why is it good for industry that microorganisms have plasmids?
Plasmids can be genetically modified to produce the required product
Why is it good for industry that microorganisms can make complex molecules?
Because these are usually difficult to make artificially
Why is it good for industry that microorganisms don’t have any ethical issues?
Because society don’t care if they are used / tested on
What are plasmids?
Small, circular molecules of DNA that are seperate from a microorganism’s main DNA
Where are large amounts of microorganisms grown?
In containers called fermenters
Name 5 products grown on a large scale by Microorganisms:
- Antibiotics
- Food from fungi
- Enzymes for making food
- Enzymes for washing powder
- Biofuels
What is genetic modification?
Where a gene from one organism is transferred to another. The organism with the tranferred gene will then produce a protein using instructions in that gene.
Describe the 5 stages of genetic modification
- The gene producing the required protein is isolated and the position of it on the DNA is found.
- The udeful gene is then replicated
- Each gene then joins to a vector (a carrier for it, making it easier to insert into new cell)
- The vectors are transferred into new cells
- Only some are successful, so the good ones then have to be identified.
What are 2 examples of vectors?
Plasmids
Viruses
Name 2 uses of genetic modification
Making medicines
Making crops herbicide-resistant
What is a potential negative impact of using herbicide resistant plants?
They could encourage the use of weed-killers if the herbicide resistant gene is trasferred into weeds. This could reduce biodiversity and weed killers could pollute water systems or get into food chains.
