Genetic Modification (Genetic Engineering) - exam practice
Genetic Modification (Genetic Engineering)
Question 1 of 5
The image below shows a poppy plant.
The poppy plant produces a powerful painkiller.
Scientists have genetically modified yeast cells to produce painkillers that are normally harvested from poppies.
Discuss the benefits and risks of producing painkillers from genetically modified yeast cells instead of extracting them from poppies.
The genetically modified yeast are transgenic organisms.
What is a transgenic organism?
Give two other examples of the use of transgenic organisms.
Give the role of two enzymes in the production of GM organisms.
Penicillin is a substance used to treat bacterial infections.
There has been a global shortage of penicillin in recent years.
Penicillin kills bacteria by destroying the bacterial cell wall.
What is the name given to a substance that stops bacterial growth?
Some bacteria cause disease but many can be used in different industries.
Explain why bacteria are useful in the biotechnology industry.
Scientists have genetically engineered bacteria to produce large amounts of penicillin.
Describe how scientists would produce a genetically modified bacterium that produces penicillin.
The pancreases of patients with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin.
Patients with type 1 diabetes need to inject synthetic insulin to maintain constant blood sugar levels.
Synthetic insulin is made in bacteria or yeast that have been genetically modified.
Explain how the human insulin gene can be inserted into a bacterial plasmid.
Explain what is meant by the term genetically modified.
An industrial fermenter is used to grow the GM bacteria.
The fermenter is sterilised with steam before the GM bacteria are added.
Explain why.
Scientists have been studying the possibility of reducing the populations of pests by using genetic engineering.
They want to insert a gene into male rodents that destroys any sperm containing an X chromosome.
Explain how this method could rapidly reduce the rodent population.
Explain what is meant by the term 'genetically modified'.
Give another example of a current or potential use of a transgenic animal.
Genetically modified (GM) crops have been created to try and feed an increasing human population.
Describe how GM crops are produced and give one advantage and one disadvantage of growing GM crops.