cloning and biotechnology2

Question 1

what is biotechnology

Answer 1

biotechnology is the large scale/ industrial/ commercial use of living organisms/ enzymes

Question 2

biotechnology is used to produce food

Answer 2

cheese, yoghurt, beer, wine, mycoprotein

enzymes/microbes involved with food are: lactobacillus, yeast, fusarium

Question 3

biotechnology is used to produce drugs

Answer 3

antibiotics, penicillin, insulin

enzymes/ microbes involved are penicillium

Question 4

what are biotechnologies other uses

Answer 4

-enzymes, calcium citrate, for bioremediation, for water treatment

Question 5

what are the advantages of using microorganisms in biotechnology

Answer 5

-fast growth/ reproduction/ products
-microbes can be genetically engineered
-processes occur at low temperatures/ pressures
-low temp/ pressure= cheaper/ safer to maintain
-purer products are easier to separate

Question 6

what is lactose broken down into in aerobic conditions.

Answer 6

broken down into glucose and galactose

Question 7

explain the importance in maintaining aseptic conditions

Answer 7

• to avoid unwanted microbe entry
  -so no competition for nutrients
  -so conditions remain unchanged
  -so no decrease in yield
  -so no contamination of batch
  -to prevent escape of microbes

Question 8

what are the advantages of immobilized enzymes

Answer 8

-enzyme can be removed to be used again
-to leave a pure product
-enzyme more stable/ efficient/ works better

Question 9

explain why cheese making can be considered a biotechnological process

Answer 9

-it uses microbes/ living organisms/ cells/ enzymes
-make a product/ for human benefit
-industrial process

Question 10

outline the process by which bacteria can be genetically modified to produce rennin

Answer 10

1. obtaining the gene- use restriction enzymes/ endonuclease ; to cut/ isolate (rennin) gene/ DNA coding for rennin. Gene probe to obtain rennin mRNA. use reverse transcriptase to make cDNA or sequence rennin (protein), work out base code, make DNA sequence. sticky ends
2. vector- cut open plasmid using same restriction enzyme. Annealing/ base pairing of sticky ends, join sugar phosphate backbones. use DNA ligase. Recombinant vector/ plasmid/phage/ DNA
3. Section 3- introduction into host cells- mix with bactteria, detail of conditions (e.g. heatshock) transformation (plasmid)/ transduction (phage)

Question 11

how can % efficiency between herbivores and producers be worked out

Answer 11

-collected from the same area
-measure biomass
- neergy content calculated of producer and herbivore
-use calorimeter described
primary consumer/ producer x 100