Gene technology

Question 1

what is the human genome project?

Answer 1

sequenced all of the genetic material of a human- it’s genome

Question 2

what are the potential uses of mapping the human genome?

Answer 2

-personalilised medicine _drugs that are given only if your DNA will allow it to work)
-sequencing of DNA in cancer cells (allow better diagnosis and treatment)
-gene therapy

Question 3

what are the potential negative impacts of the human genome?

Answer 3

-who should know?
-should you be able to find out the risks of getting a disease?

Question 4

what is gene therapy?

Answer 4

the placement of a fully functioning allele into a cell containing a faulty allele for the same gene

Question 5

describe the process of gene therapy

Answer 5

1. normal version of the gene is cut out of the DNA of a healthy person using restriction enzymes
2. DNA is amplified producing many copies of the healthy allele
3. a virus is modified to carry copies of the healthy allele within its genetic code- the virus is a vector
4. the virus is injected into a person with the genetic disorder and infects their cells
5. the virus inserts copies of the healthy allele into the cells of the person with the genetic disorder

Question 6

what are the problems with gene therapy?

Answer 6

-healthy alleles may not go into every target cell
-healthy alleles may join chromosomes in random places, so thy do not work properly
-treatments may only be short lived, as treated cells may be replaced by the patients own untreated cells
-changing a babies characteristics is the start of designer babies which leads to ethical issues and discrimination

Question 7

what are the possible future advances of medicine?

Answer 7

-development of personalised medicines resulting in fewer side effects and better outcomes
-development of new gene therapy treatments for diseases that currently have no cure
-ability to locate genes that might be linked to inherited diseases

Question 8

smoking can cause a type of cardiovascular disease where the arteries of the heart become blocked. What is the type of treatment for this disease?

Answer 8

bypass surgery

Question 9

give two causes of non-communicable diseases

Answer 9

-genetic inheritance
-mutation

Question 10

give some medical treatments for cardiovascular disease

Answer 10

-bypass surgery
-drugs
-pacemaker
-heart transplant

Question 11

what do all cancers have in common?

Answer 11

caused by uncontrolled cell growth

Question 12

list some risk factors for cancer

Answer 12

-genetic links
-excessive exposure to UV light

Question 13

name the two phases of the cell cycle

Answer 13

interphase and mitosis

Question 14

what three things do cells do whilst they are in interphase?

Answer 14

-growing
-replicating DNA
-cell functions

Question 15

why hair can grow up to half an inch each month?

Answer 15

they do mitosis regularly

Question 16

why do spinal cord and brain injuries not heal well?

Answer 16

they don’t perform mitosis

Question 17

why are checkpoints important in the cell cycle?

Answer 17

to check the cell is growing and replicating its DNA correctly and that it’s functioning

Question 18

what happens if a cell ‘fails’ a checkpoint?

Answer 18

the cell does apoptosis (self destructs)

Question 19

why is the checkpoint process important?

Answer 19

stops damaged cells from replicating

Question 20

what is a tumor?

Answer 20

mass of cancer cells

Question 21

name some risk factors that increase the chances of cells becoming cancerous

Answer 21

-genetics
-diet
-tobacco
-hormones
-obesity
-radiation

Question 22

how does chemotherapy work?

Answer 22

by targeting cells that go through mitosis quickly

Question 23

what hormone are cancer cells able to produce?

Answer 23

growth hormone

Question 24

why is the production of this hormone problematic?

Answer 24

the blood starts to supply the cancer cells and give them nutrients- prevents healthy cells from getting nutrients and allows the cancer cells to keep replicating