Genetic Modification and Other Technologies

Question 1

Give the model answer to selective breeding (5)

Answer 1

1) A male and female with the desired characteristics are chosen by a farmer
2) These offspring are allowed to breed (artificial insemination may be used)
3) The offspring should inherit the desired characteristics
4) The offspring which then show the best of these features are selected and bred together
5) This is repeated over a number of generations

Question 2

What is selective breeding

Answer 2

Selecting the parents with the desired characteristics, allowing them to breed and be repeated over many generations

Question 3

Why is the Belgian Blue such a big cow

Answer 3

Gene that regulates muscle growth has been removed

Question 4

How is selective breeding different to natural selection

Answer 4

Natural selection = competition for survival will select who survives

Selective breeding = faster and done artificially

Question 5

What is genetic engineering

Answer 5

Changing the genetic material of an organism by taking a gene from one organism and inserting it into another

Question 6

What is a vector

Answer 6

Carrys (DNA)

e.g Plasmid

Question 7

What does a bacteria cell have instead of a nucleus

Answer 7

Single circular chromosome

Question 8

Describe the order of genetic engineering bacteria cells (8)

Answer 8

1) Find (human insulin) gene
2) Cut out gene using restriction enzyme
3) Find a vector (Plasmid in bateria)
4) Cut open vector with same restriction enzyme
5) Insert gene of interest into vector. Ligase sticks the two together
6) This produces recombinant DNA
7) The bacterium is now referred to as transgenic as it contains genes from a different species.
8) The bacteria can be grown in a fermentor and produce human insulin

Question 9

What is recombinant DNA

Answer 9

Genes from more than 1 species

Question 10

What is Transgenic

Answer 10

Contains DNA from more than 1 species

Question 11

Give 4 vectors

Answer 11

Plasmids
Viruses
AgroBacterium
Gene Gun

Question 12

What does a plasmid do

Answer 12

• From bacteria
• Used as delivery vehicles for foreign DNA
• Easily passed between bacteria

Question 13

What do viruses do

Answer 13

Inserts genetic material into other organisms

Question 14

What does Agro-Bacterium do

Answer 14

Uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tutors in plants

Naturally infects plants

Question 15

What does a gene gun do

Answer 15

Microscopic material are used as ‘bullets’ to deliver DNA into callus cells

Question 16

Why is it harder to genetically engineer plants

Answer 16

No natural plasmid

Multicellular

Question 17

What is golden rice and how was it made

Answer 17

Rice + Daffodils

Full of vitamin A

Question 18

Give some traits that you could genetically engineer into crops

Answer 18

Frost resistant
Heat resistant 
Better taste 
Different colours
Increased yield

Question 19

Give the pros and cons of golden rice

Answer 19

Pros = cure for vitamin A deficiency

Cons = Only big companies can afford to use it which puts smaller ones at risk

Question 20

Give some pros of using GE in plants

Answer 20

Can be given natural insect killing genes - no need to spray crops with toxic insecticides

Can produce better + bigger crops

Farmers can use less weed killers and pesticides

Can make people living in developing countries healthier - adding vitamins to staple foods

Could reduce the number of starving people in the world

Question 21

Give some cons of using GE in plants

Answer 21

Some insects can become resistant to the natural insect repellent used by the GM crop

Companies who make the seed might make them very expensive - limiting use in poorer countries

The gene may spread from GM plant to tother species

Might give people serous food allergies / side effects

May reduce the lifespan of animals that eat them, including humans

Question 22

What is a clone

Answer 22

Genetically identical organism

Question 23

Give a natural clone

Answer 23

Spider plants (mitosis)

Question 24

Describe cloning plants by cutting

Answer 24

A branch from the parent plant is cut off, lower leaves removed and the stem planted in damp compost

Plant hormones are often used to encourage new roots to develop

The cutting is usually covered in a clear plastic bag at this stage to keep it moist and warm

After a few weeks, new roots develop and a new plant is produced. The method is easy enough for most gardeners to do successfully.

Question 25

Give the cons of cutting

Answer 25

Limited by how many copies you can make

Question 26

What is Micropropagation (5)

Answer 26

Small amounts of parent tissue or a number of cells are taken

The plant material is transferred to plates containing sterile nutrient agar jelly

Plant hormones are added to stimulate the cells to divide

Cells grow rapidly into small masses of tissue

The tiny plantlets are transferred into potting trays where they develop into plants

Question 27

How would you clone a sheep (model answer) (7)

Answer 27

1) Take an egg cell from the organism
2) Remove the haploid nucleus from the egg cell to produce an inoculated egg cell
3) Take a body cell from the desired organism that you want to clone
4) Remove the diploid nucleus from this cell
5) Using an electric shock, fuse the two cells together
6) It will start to divide by mitosis to form an embryo
7) Place the embryo into a uterus of a surrogate mother

Question 28

Give two pros of cloning

Answer 28

• Can quickly replace the desired gene of a certain animal (lots of wool)
• Conservation work

Question 29

Give two cons of cloning

Answer 29

Reduce variety

Short life span