cloning and biotechnology

Question 1

the clones were planted in adjacent fields in order to control variables such as temperature wind speed and rainfall what other abiotic variables needs to be controlled

Answer 1

soil ph
light intensity

Question 2

compare the equipment and techniques of taking cuttings and micropropogation

Answer 2

cuttings - produce less clones
micropropagation - expensive and needs skilled workers

Question 3

what are 3 advantages of using vegetative propogation in agriculture

Answer 3

predictable size/quality
can be done at any time of year
easy to harvest

Question 4

outline how it is possible to produce many clones from a single original parent plant

Answer 4

explants taken from plant turn into callus which can be subdivided
plantlets subdivided

Question 5

suggest a reason why clones are used in studies

Answer 5

no genetic variation to influence results
more accurate

Question 6

what meausre should the technician take to keep the agar plate sterile

Answer 6

flame on innoculating loop/neck of tube to kill bacteria
minimise plate opening time

Question 7

describe 2 practical considerations to ensure the yeast grows successfully when initial culture is established

Answer 7

aseptic techniques - prevent contamination
provide enough nutrients

Question 8

explain the purpose of the flask that contained no bacteria in the nutrient broth

Answer 8

control
check for contamination

Question 9

suggest why the teacher told them not to grow bacteria at 35 degrees

Answer 9

harmful microbes grow
growth of human pathogens

Question 10

the teacher also suggested that the should have carried out the investigation using 3 flasks at each temperature
how would this improved the investigation

Answer 10

improves reliability and repeatability
reduces anomalies
calculate mean which is more accurate

Question 11

describe a procedure to estimate the bacterial population

Answer 11

serial dilutions
grow on agar plate count colonies
multiply backwards to estimate population size

Question 12

2 economic advantages of immbolising enzymes for large scale production

Answer 12

downstream processing is more easier - reduces costs
reusable - less money needed

Question 13

explain why immobilised enzymes are more active at pH8 than free enzymes

Answer 13

dont denature easily
tertiary structure is supported

Question 14

disadvantage of using immobilised enzymes in industry

Answer 14

high set up costs
can leak into reaction mixture