Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

A Level Biology > Biotechnology > Flashcards

Biotechnology Flashcards

1
Q

Name for natural cloning of plants?

A

Vegetative propagation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Examples of natural cloning in plants?

A

Runners from strawberry plants, bulbs from a daffodil, stem tubers from potatoes and rhizome (horizontal stem underground) from marram grass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How is asexual reproduction classed as cloning?

A

It produces genetically identical offspring by mitosis. It makes clones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Examples of food naturally propagated?

A

Sugar cane, bananas, sweet potatoes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Advantages of natural plant cloning?

A

Only require ONE parent, increases the population quickly, no breeding season required

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the name for artificial plant cloning?

A

Micropropagation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

When is artificial plant cloning used?

A

When a plant cant reproduce, or it is very rare

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Disadvantages of natural plant cloning?

A

No variation (susceptible to diseases), leads to overcrowding, difficulty adapting to environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Describe the process of taking a cutting and undergoing natural plant cloning?

A

Create environment for roots to survive, take from a plant in vegetative state (no flowering), cut between nodes at a slant and add auxin rooting powder, replant in compost quickly and spread out, add water to reduce transpiration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Describe the process of micropropagation?

A

Take sample of tissue (meristem from roots and shoot tips), sterile conditions, place explant in culture medium containing plant hormones, these stimulate mitosis (auxins/cytokines), cells divide and form callus, callus divided up and placed into different mediums and plantlets potted in compost to grow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Disadvantages of micropropagation?

A

Produces monoculture (lack of diversity), requires skilled workers, expensive, large numbers of new plant can be lost

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Advantages of micropropgation?

A

Rapid production of known genetic make-up, provides a way to reproduce infertile plants, increases numbers of endangered plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Ways natural cloning in invertebrates occurs?

A

Binary fission or bacteria, starfish can regenerate damaged fragments of the body, Hydra produce small ‘buds’, Aphids (female insect) can produce without a mate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How are monozygotic twins formed?

A

Embryo naturally splits into two in the uterus, trigger unknown

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Example of natural cloning in vertebrates?

A

Monozygotic twins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why do some monozygotic twins still look different?

A

Due to different levels of nutrients received in utero, also position in uterus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the 2 different ways of artificial animal cloning?

A

Artificial twinning and SCNT

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What does SCNT stand for?

A

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Describe the process of artificial twinning?

A

Desirable organism treated with hormones to make ovulate, fertilize and split the embryo, grow in lab, implant into surrogate, embryo develops and is born

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is artificial twinning?

A

Manually splitting the embryo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q
A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How many embryos goes into each surrogate mother?

A

1 - less risky with one offspring each

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Describe the process of SCNT?

A

Nucleus removed from somatic cell and added to an egg cell that was enucleated. Fused with electric shock to stimulate division, embryo develops and transferred to surrogate to grow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is a somatic cell?

A

Adult body cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
In SCNT which animal is the clone of?
The original animal that had the adult somatic cell removed
16
What is SCNT used for?
Pharming (genetically engineered animals) and GM animals for human transplants too
16
Which famous animal underwent SCNT?
Dolly the Sheep in 1996
17
Disadvantages of artificial animal cloning?
Very inefficient, lots of miscarriages, shortened lifespans, expensive, time-consuming
18
Advantages of artificial animal cloning?
High yield, can reproduce desirable genes, prevents species dying out, clone specific animals eg: race horses
19
What is pharming?
Producing animals that have been genetically modified for their product
20
Why do people use micro-organisms?
Reproduce very quickly, shorter life cycle, no welfare or ethical issues, simple, cheap, easily genetically modified
21
Indirect uses of micro-organisms in food?
Baking (respiration and release of CO2), brewing (fermentation of ethanol), cheese making and yoghurt production
22
Direct uses of micro-organisms?
Mushrooms and single-celled protein (Quorn)
23
How does yeast effect wine?
It determines the sweetness and flavour
23
Define biotechnology?
Applying biological organisms or enzymes to the synthesis, breakdown or transformation of materials in service of people
23
Advantages of MO in food?
Increased production on demand, can be genetically modified , not dependent on season, not much land needed,
23
Disadvantages of MO in food?
Need to isolate and purify the protein, cultures can easily be infected, some people just don't want to eat them, little natural flavoring
24
Describe how insulin is produced?
Plasmid is extracted from bacteria cell, gets cut using restrictive enzymes, human insulin is added and resealed with DNA ligase, plasmid cells reinserted into bacteria cell, insulin released and purified
24
What is bioremediation?
Micro-organisms being used to break down pollutants
25
Explain the different approaches of undergoing bioremediation?
Using natural organisms (eg: in soil and water can neutralize crude oil) Genetically modified bacteria
26
Name aseptic techniques?
Sterilize environment and desk using 70% alcohol, heat inoculating loop in Bunsen burner, heat rim of bottles to create updraft, close windows, tape lid shut on either side, prevent putting down equipment whilst using, store agar upside down so no condensation
27
Describe process of culturing bacteria?
Sterilize environment and inoculating loop, dip into bacterial suspension and make a zig-zag streak across agar petri dish, tape lid shut and incubate
28
How do you measure the zone of inhibition?
Work out the area using Pi x r squared
29
What are the 4 phases in bacterial growth graph?
Lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase and death phase
30
What happens during each bacterial growth phase?
Lag - Adapting to environment beginning to reproduce Exponential - Maximum growth rate, close to theoretical Stationary - Bacteria is dying at the same rate as reproducing [equilibrium] Death - Reproduction has ceased
31
Equation for calculating bacteria population size?
Number of bacteria at the start x 2 to the power of divisions
32
What log number is used when working out bacteria population?
Log 10
33
Why can't bacteria population grow indefinitely?
Limiting factors such as O2, nutrients, temp, pH or toxic waste build up
34
What is a primary metabolite?
A substance that is an essential part of the functioning and growing of a micro-organism
35
Example of a primary metabolite?
Ethanol in anaerobic respiration
36
What are secondary metabolites?
Non-essential substances but are still used by micro-organisms
37
Example of secondary metabolites?
Chemical plant defenses and pigments
38
Where are secondary metabolites typically produced?
In the stationary phase onwards
39
2 different process of industrially producing micro-organisms?
Batch and continuous fermentation
40
Explain how batch production works?
MO inoculated in fixed volume, growth takes place, biomass and waste builds up, growth stops at stationary phase and MO carry out biochemical changes, process stops before death phase and the products are harvested. Cleaned and sterilized ready for next batch culture
41
Explain how continuous production works?
MO inoculated into sterile medium and begin to grow, adds more nutrient medium once in exponential phase, culture is continually removed and harvested, replenished so that culture volume in bioreactor is constant
42
Basic structure of a bioreactor?
Motor at the top, compressed air entering the bottom, harvested in the middle at bottom, O2, pH, temp probes inside
43
Advantages of using isolated enzymes?
Less wasteful, more efficient, more specific - no unwanted enzymes present, no wasteful reactions
44
Which enzymes are typically used on an industrial scale and why?
Extracellular - easier to isolate as they are generally secreted, cheaper, more adapt to different conditions
45
Why are intracellular enzymes sometimes used?
There is a larger range of the
46
Examples of intracellular enzymes used as isolated enzymes?
Penicillin acylase, glucose oxidase and asparaginase
47
What is glucose oxidase used for?
Food preservation
48
What is asparaginase used for?
Cancer treatments
49
What is penicillin acylase used for?
Turning natural penicillin into semi-synthetic more effective drugs
50
Advantages of immobilized enzymes?
Can be reused- cheaper, more reliable, greater temp tolerance, easily separated
51
Disadvantages of immobilized enzymes?
Reduced efficiency, higher initial costs of materials - the process of immobilizing, and bioreactor, more technical issues
52
Ways that enzymes are immobilized?
Adsorption (attachment to surface), covalent/ionic bonding or entrapment
53
Disadvantage of covalent bonding immobilization?
Active site might be changed in the process
54
Disadvantage of entrapment?
Diffusion rate of substrate to product can slowed down, holding up reaction
55
What does glucose isomerase do?
Used in the conversion of glucose to fructose

A Level Biology (18 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions