Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Question 1

Why are bacteria useful for the biotechnology?

Answer 1

Because of their rapid reproduction rate
Their ability to make complex molecules
Lack of ethical concerns over their manipulation and growth
Genetic code shared with all other organisms
Presence of plasmids

Question 2

What is alcohol produced by fermentation used for?

Answer 2

Biofuel

Question 3

What causes bread dough to rise?

Answer 3

Yeast respires anaerobically and produces CO2

Question 4

What is pectinase used for?

Answer 4

It is an enzyme that is added to chopped up fruit and more juice is released as it breaks down the pectin which is found inside plant cell walls and therefore more juice is squeezed out

Question 5

What does Pectinase help do?

Answer 5

Produce a clearer juice as once polysaccharides are broken down into smaller molecules the juice becomes clearer

Question 6

What are many stains?

Answer 6

Organic molecules

Question 7

What do biological washing powders contain?

Answer 7

Enzymes similar to the digestive enzymes

Question 8

What are advantages of biological washing powders?

Answer 8

1. Quickly breaks down large insoluble molecules into smaller soluble ones that dissolve in water
2. They are effective at lower temps so less energy and money wasted
3. They can be used to clean delicate clothing

Question 9

What is lactose?

Answer 9

a sugar found in milk

Question 10

What does lactose intolerant mean?

Answer 10

React badly to dairy products- nausea, flatulence and diarrhoea as their digestive system is upset

Question 11

How can milk be made lactose free?

Answer 11

By adding the enzyme lactase to it

Question 12

What was the first antibiotic to be discovered?

Answer 12

Penicillin

Question 13

What is penicillin?

Answer 13

A chemical produced by the fungus penicillium which inhibits bacterial growth

Question 14

How have we been able to make lots of penicillin?

Answer 14

Using industrial fermenters

Question 15

What are industrial fermenters?

Answer 15

Containers used to grow microorganisms like bacteria/fungi in large amounts. Those are then used for producing genetically modified bacteria and the penicillium mould that produces penicillin.

Question 16

What are advantages of industrial fermenters?

Answer 16

Conditions are carefully controlled to produce large amounts of exactly the right type of microorganism

Question 17

How is agitation controlled in an industrial fermenter?

Answer 17

Stirring paddles ensure that microorganisms, oxygen and nutrients are evenly distributed

Question 18

How are septic precautions carried out in an industrial fermenter

Answer 18

Fermenter is cleaned by steam to kill microorganisms and prevent chemical contamination which ensures only desired microorganisms will grow

Question 19

Define Genetic Engineering

Answer 19

Changing the genetic material of an organism by removing, changing or inserting individual genes

Question 20

Give examples of genetic engineering

Answer 20

The insertion of human genes into bacteria to produce human insulin
The insertion of genes into crop plants to confer resistance to herbicides and insect pests
The insertion of genes into crop plants to provide additional vitamins such as golden rice which makes the rice grains produce a chemical that is turned into Vitamin A

Question 21

What are advantages of Genetic engineering

Answer 21

Reduced use of chemicals such as herbicides

Increased yields from the crops as they are not competing with weeds

Question 22

Disadvantages of Genetic engineering

Answer 22

Increased costs of seeds- GM seeds are more expensive meaning smaller and poorer farms cannot compare with larger farms
Reduced biodiversity as there are fewer plant species when herbicides have been used
Research says that plants that have had genes inserted into them do not grow as well as non- Gm plants

Question 23

Outline the genetic engineering using bacterial production of a human protein

Answer 23

1. Isolation of the DNA making up a human gene using restriction enzymes, forming sticky ends
2. Cutting off bacterial plasmid DNA with the same restriction enzymes forming complementary sticky ends
3. Insertion of human DNA into bacterial plasmid DNA using DNA ligase to form a recombinant plasmid
4. Insertion Of plasmid bacteria
5. Replication of bacteria containing recombinant plasmids which make human protein as they express the gene