CB4e Genes In Agriculture And Medicene

Question 1

Why does it matter if alleles are lost from a species?

Answer 1

Those alleles that might be useful in the future will not be able be recovered and the organism will suffer or not thrive in the condititons

Question 2

Selective breeding risks: in selective breeding, only certain alleles are selected so…

Answer 2

Other alleles become rare or disappear

Question 3

Selective breeding risks: Farming huge numbers of the same breed or variety means that if there is a change in conditions….

Answer 3

All organisms will be affected

Question 4

Selective breeding risks: Animal welfare is a concern. Some chickens produce so much breast meat…

Answer 4

They can’t stand up

Question 5

Suggest why scientists now save the seeds of thousands of different plant varieties

Answer 5

If there is a change in conditions, the plants of a certain characteristic destroyed can be recovered by one’s that have the ability to survive/thrive in the new conditions

Question 6

Genetic engineering issues: Some people believe that GM crops will reproduce with wild plant varieties and pass on their…

Answer 6

resistance genes and these genes may have unknown consequences in wild plants

Question 7

Genetic engineering issues: Seeds for many GM plants are

Answer 7

expensive

Question 8

GM crops have produced to be resistant to some insects and others are resistant to the certain herbicides (weed killers). This means that…

Answer 8

Less crop spraying is needed. (Only one large spray instead of several light ones)

Question 9

Positives of GM bacteria producing insulin

Answer 9

Cheaper

Suitable for vegans

Question 10

Negatives of GM bacteria producing insulin: some diabetics do not us insulin from GM bacteria because…

Answer 10

It is slightly different to insulin from mammals

Question 11

To genetically engineer bacteria, additional genes are added to a…

Answer 11

plasmid

Question 12

Plasmid

Answer 12

A small loop of DNA found in the cytoplasm of Bacteria

Question 13

Recombinant DNA

Answer 13

DNA made by joining two sections of DNA together

Question 14

Restriciton Enzymes

Answer 14

An enzyme that cuts DNA molecules into pieces

Question 15

Sticky ends

Answer 15

A short section of single stranded DNA at the end of a piece of DNA that has been cut out by a restriction enzyme

Question 16

Ligase

Answer 16

An enzyme that joins two DNA molecules together

Question 17

Vector

Answer 17

Something that transfers one thing from one place to another

Question 18

Step 1 of Insulin Genetic Engineering

Answer 18

Restriction enzymes make staggered cuts in DNA molecules cutting out the gene used to make insulin from a human chromosome. These staggered cuts are called ‘sticky ends’

Question 19

Step 2 of Insulin Genetic Engineering

Answer 19

Restriction enzymes are used again to cut the plasmids inside the bacteria open. Using the same enzymes means that the plasmids have the same sticky ends as the human chromsome DNA

Question 20

Step 3 of Insulin Genetic Engineering

Answer 20

Sections of DNA containing the insulin gene are mixed with the cut plasmids. The complimentary bases on the stick ends pair up and an enzyme called ligase is used to join the ends together

Question 21

Step 4 of Insulin Genetic Engineering

Answer 21

The plasmids are then inserted back into the bacteria which are grown in a fermentor. Now all bacteria produced from the original bacteria have the gene to make human insulin