Genetic Engineering

Question 1

What are restriction enzymes and lysozymes used for?

Answer 1

• The restriction enzyme is used to cut out the gene for the insulin from the DNA
• The lysozyme is used to cut the plasmid out of the bacterial cell
• The restriction enzyme is used again to cut a section of DNA from the plasmid
• The ligase enzyme is used to join ends of the DNA

Question 2

Why is bacteria a good organism to use in this process?

Answer 2

• easy to modify chromosomes
• contains plasmids which you can genetically change
• small - easily containable

Question 3

How is a large amount of human insulin manufactured?

Answer 3

• the gene for human insulin is cut out with a restriction enzyme
• bacteria cells contain a ring of portable DNA called plasmids - the same restriction enzyme is used to cut bacteria DNA plasmid
• ligase enzyme sticks the human insulin gene into the bacteria plasmid
• the plasmid holding the insulin is put into bacteria
• the bacteria reproduce in a fermenter and start to make human insulin

Question 4

How can genetically modified plants be used to improve food production

Answer 4

• by making them resistant to insects or to make them resistant to herbicides
• insect resistant - farmers don’t have to spray as many pesticides, so wildlife isn’t harmed. Crop yield also increase.
• herbicide resistant - farmers can spray their crops to kill weeds, without effecting the crop itself. Increasing crop yield

Question 5

Concerns with genetically modified plants

Answer 5

• transplanted genes may get out into environment
• negatively affect the food chain
• affect human health
• changing an organism’s gene might create unforeseen problems - affecting future generation

Question 6

Process of micropropagation to clone plants

Answer 6

• tissue samples are scraped from the parent plant
• the tissue samples are placed in sterile agar jelly, containing nutrients (glucose and amino acids) and auxins
• the plant cells divide and produce shoots, roots and leaves; they are called explants
• the explants are planted into compost where the environment is controlled (light and humidity)

Question 7

Plant cloning through cuttings

Answer 7

• cuttings of a plant with desired characteristics is taken
• planted in a damp atmosphere until roots develop
• this is a cheap way of producing a lot of plants