Genetic Engineering

Question 1

What is genetic engineering?

Answer 1

The artificial manipulation or alteration of genes.

Question 2

What are genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

Answer 2

Living things whose DNA has been altered artificially.

Question 3

Examples of cross-species transfer of genes?

Answer 3

1. Human genes inserted into bacteria
2. Bacterial genes placed into plants
3. Human genes inserted into animals.

Question 4

What materials and tools are needed for genetic engineering?

Answer 4

1. Source of DNA
2. Cloning vector
3. Restriction enzymes
4. DNA ligase

Question 5

What is a cloning vector?

Answer 5

Special kind of DNA that can accept foreign DNA and replicate itself and the foreign DNA.

Question 6

What are restriction enzymes?

Answer 6

Enzymes that cut DNA at specific places. They act as genetic scissors

Question 7

What is DNA ligase?

Answer 7

Enzyme that is used to get foreign DNA to join with DNA of cloning vector.

Question 8

What is a source of DNA?

Answer 8

DNA or a gene that is taken from one organism to be placed into the DNA of a 2nd organism.

Question 9

What is the most common cloning vector?

Answer 9

Plasmid

Question 10

What is a plasmid?

Answer 10

A small circle of DNA found in bacteria.

Question 11

What is a transgenic organism?

Answer 11

Organism that contains genes from another species.

Question 12

Give the process of genetic engineering using bacteria.

Answer 12

1. Isolation of a chromosome (containing the target gene) and a plasmid.
2. Cutting the chromosome and plasmids with a restriction enzyme.
3. Ligation (or joining) of the target gene into the plasmid.
4. Transformation of bacterial cells ie getting bacterial cels to take up plasmids.
5. Cloning/ reproducing identical copies of the new genetically engineered bacterium.
6. Expression/production of the required protein by the bacteria with the recombinant DNA.

Question 13

What is an application of genetic engineering in crops?

Answer 13

Weedkiller-resistant crops- weedkiller can be sprayed over the entire crop and only kills the weeds

Question 14

What is an application genetic engineering in animals?

Answer 14

Human gene for treatment of emphysema inserted into sheep DNA. The sheep produce the protein in their milk which the human can then consume.

Question 15

What is an application of genetic engineering in bacteria?

Answer 15

Bacteria make insulin- human insulin gene put into bacteria. Make allergen free insulin.

Question 16

State ethical issues in genetic engineering.

Answer 16

1. The release of GMOs into the environment
2. The use of GMOs as a food source
3. Fear that animals will suffer due to being modified
4. Fear that human zygotes may be genetically modified.

Question 17

What is recombinant DNA?

Answer 17

Altered DNA