biotechnology

Question 1

what do modern biotechnology techniques allow?

Answer 1

large quantities of microorganisms to be cultured industrially under controlled conditions in large vats for use as a food source

Question 2

what is the name of the fungus used in mycoprotein?

Answer 2

fusarium

Question 3

what is fusarium used for?

Answer 3

producing mycoprotein

Question 4

what is mycoprotein used for?

Answer 4

to make a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians

Question 5

how is mycoprotein made?

Answer 5

from fusarium grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions, then the biomass is harvested and purified to produce the mycoprotein

Question 6

advantages of GM crops

Answer 6

-produced that are resistant to pests, diseases and herbicides which improves crop yields, increasing food security
-to grow well despite global warming e.g in drought conditions which improves crop yields
-to provide more nutritional value e.g golden rice
-improve food size

Question 7

disadvantages of GM

Answer 7

-unsure of long-term effects on human health
-genes from GM crops could spread to species in the wild
-ethical reasons
-could lead to manipulation of human genes
-pesticide-producing crops may result in insects developing pesticide resistance

Question 8

what is golden rice?

Answer 8

rice that has been genetically engineered to produce a chemical that is converted to vitamin A in the body

Question 9

describe the process of genetic engineering when making human insulin

Answer 9

1. a plasmid is removed from a bacteria
2. the insulin gene is cut out of a human chromosome using an enzyme
3. the plasmid is cut open using the same enzyme
4. a different enzyme is used to stick the insulin gene into the bacteria plasmid
5. the plasmid holding the insulin gene is inserted into a bacteria
6. the bacteria reproduce and start to make human insulin
7. insulin is harvested and purified to treat people with diabetes