Topic 7 Biotechnology

Question 1

What is biotechnology

Answer 1

Where living things and biological processes are manipulated to produce a useful product

Question 2

What is mycroprotein

Answer 2

Food from fungi
Used to make high protein meat substitutes for vegetarian meals e.g Quorn

Question 3

What does using modern biotechnology mean

Answer 3

That large amounts of microorganisms can be cultured industrially under controlled conditions in large vats for use as a food source

Question 4

What is fungal biomass harvested and purified to produce

Answer 4

Mycroprotien

Question 5

What is genetic engineering

Answer 5

Transferring a useful heme from one organism to another

Question 6

What can bacteria be genetically engineered to make

Answer 6

Human insulin

Question 7

How can bacteria be engineered for human insulin

Answer 7

1) a plasmid is removed from the bacteria
2) insulin gene is cut out of a human chromosome using a restriction enzyme . Leah is one of the DNA strands with unpaired bases this is called a sticky end
3) The plasmid is cut open using the same restriction enzyme leaving the same sticky ends
4) plasmid and human insulin and mix together
5) Ligase (an enzyme ) is added And joins the sticky ends together to produce recombinant DNA
6) The recombinant DNA is inserted into a bacterium
7) The modified bacteria is Groot Univar under controlled conditions to end up with millions of bacteria that produce insulin insulin can be harvested and purified to treat people with diabetes

Question 8

How do you restriction enzymes Cut the DNA

Answer 8

Recognise specific sequences