Unit 2, Module 2 - Biotechnology Flashcards
What does the use of biotechnology include when used in healthcare and medical processes?
The production of drugs by microorganisms.
Gene therapy to treat some genetic disorders.
What are the four major areas of application for biotechnology?
Healthcare and medical processes.
Agriculture.
Industry.
Food science.
What does the use of biotechnology include when used in agriculture?
Micropropagation of plants.
Development of genetically modified plants.
What does the use of biotechnology include when used in industry?
Genetically modifying organisms to produce enymes.
What does the use of biotechnology include when used in food science?
Developing foods with improved nutrition or better taste, texture and appearance.
What are some example of biotechnology being used in the production of foods?
Cheese and yoghurt-making.
Mycoprotein.
Naturally brewed soya sauce.
What organisms are involved in cheese and yoghurt making?
Bacterial (Lactobactillus) growth in milk changes the flavour and texture of the milk to generate a different food.
They prevent the growth of other bacteria that would cause spoilage, and so preserve the food.
What organisms are involved the production of mycoprotien?
Growth if of specific fungus (Fusarium) in culture.
The fungal mycelium produced is separated and processed as food.
What organisms are involved in the production of naturally brewing soya sauce?
Roasted soya beans are fermented with yeast or fungi such as Aspergillus.
What are some examples of biotechnology being used in the production of drugs or other pharmaceutical chemicals?
Penicillin.
Insulin.
What organism is involved in the production of penicillin.
The fungus Penicillium grown in culture produces the antibiotic as a by-product of its metabolism.
What are some examples of biotechnology used in the production of enzymes or other chemicals for commercial use?
Pectinase, used in fruit juice extraction.
Calcium citrate, used in detergents.
Bio-gas fuel production.
What organism is used in the production of pectinase?
The fungus A. niger grown in certain conditions produces and secretes pectinase enzymes
What organism is used in the production of calcium citrate?
The fungus A. niger produces citric acid as a by-product of its normal metabolism.
What organism is involved in bio-gas fuel production?
Methanogenic bacteria, grown on concentrates sewage, respire anaerobically and generate gases that can be used as fuel.
What is an example of biotechnology used in the bioremediation of waste products?
Waste water treatment.
What organisms are involved in waste water treatment?
A variety of bacteria and fungi use organic waste in the water as nutrients and make the waste harmless.
Fusarium grown o corn steep liquor,
Why is the use of microorganisms in biotechnological processes widespread?
Grow rapidly in favourable conditions.
Often produce proteins or chemicals that are given out into the surrounding medium and can be harvested.
Can be genetically engineered to produce specific products.
Grow well at relatively low temperatures.
Can be grown anywhere in the the world and not dependent on climate
Tend to generate products that are more pure.
Often grown using nutrient materials that might be useless or toxic.
What happens during the lag phase?
Organisms are adjusting to the surrounding conditions.
It takes time for production of enzymes so organisms can function.
What happens during the log phase?
Number of bacteria increases rapidly.
The population size doubles each generation.
What happens during the stationary phase?
Nutrient levels decrease and waste products and other metabolites build up.
The rate of growth is equal to rate of death.