Genetic Engineering and GM Organisums

Question 1

What is Genetic Engineering

Answer 1

Transferring genes from one type of organism to another

Question 2

What do you call an organism that has had genes from another type inserted into it’s cells

Answer 2

Genetically Modified (GM)

Question 3

How would you use genetic engineering to produce large amounts of a useful protein (e.g. human insulin)

Answer 3

Add the insulin producing gene to bacterial cells and those cells then produce insulin

Question 4

When cells are grown in a laboratory what is the name given to the solution they are grown in

Answer 4

a culture

Question 5

What are the cultures put in to get the cells to grow

Answer 5

fermenters

Question 6

What is used to ‘cut out’ the required gene from a strand of DNA

Answer 6

a restriction enzyme

Question 7

Bacteria cells have pieces of circular DNA - what are they called

Answer 7

Plasmid DNA

Question 8

To add a Gene to a plasmid the plasmid is cut open and what enzyme is used to add the gene in

Answer 8

ligase enzyme

Question 9

How to bacteria reproduce which means all new cells contain the same DNA as the parent

Answer 9

cloning

Question 10

What are the advantages to producing insulin by genetic engineering

Answer 10

1. Cheap to produce
2. Can produce in large quantities
3. it is human insulin so there are no adverse reactions to humans using it
4. Doesn’t use animals to produce so is available to all religious groups and vegetarians

Question 11

Name 5 ways in which crops have been genetically modified to improve yield for farmers

Answer 11

1. Grow in places with low rainfall
2. Produce their own chemicals to kill insects that eat them
3. Resist disease
4. Resist weed killers used to kill the weeds that also grow with the crops
5. Produce their own fertiliser

Question 12

Name the 4 key areas of concern people have over GM foods

Answer 12

1. Its not natural
2. May effect our health
3. May harm wildlife
4. Pollen from modified crops may transfer to weeds so they then become resistant to weedkiller (herbicide)

Question 13

What is the other name for a weedkiller

Answer 13

Herbicide

Question 14

Why was Golden Rice created through Genetic Modification?

Answer 14

Million of poorer people are experiencing blindness through lack of Vitamin A in their diet. Golden rice provides beta-carotene which the body can convert into Vitamin A

Question 15

Give 3 arguments against using Golden Rice

Answer 15

1. A balanced diet would be a better solution
2. Dependency on one GM crop for vitamin A is too limiting
3. Golden rice has never undergone trials to check it is safe for people to eat

Question 16

How would you counteract the arguments against using Golden Rice?

Answer 16

1. It is a way to provide people with Vitamin A
2. It is not meant to be the only solution to Vitamin A deficiency
3. It is dealing with one issue of providing a balanced diet to poorer people