Genetic engineeringIB MYP Biology: Mind map

Exam questions on Genetic engineering

1. Millions of people with diabetes need regular injections of insulin. Insulin used to be extracted from the pancreases of pigs and cattle. A biotechnology company in India now makes human insulin using genetically modified bacteria grown in large steel fermenters. The human insulin gene is cut out of human DNA and inserted into a bacterial plasmid, which is then put into the bacteria.
   Explain why bacteria are suitable organisms for making human insulin.2 marks
2. Farmers in Burkina Faso compared two types of cotton in a field trial. Bt cotton contains a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which makes a protein that is toxic to bollworm caterpillars. Conventional cotton does not contain this gene. Two plots of the same size were sown on the same day in the same field, with the same soil, water and fertiliser. At harvest, 100 plants were chosen at random from each plot and the number of damaged cotton bolls was counted. In the conventional plot there were 46 damaged bolls and in the Bt plot there were 7.
   Suggest two ways in which the farmers could improve the reliability of this trial.2 marks
3. In parts of Asia and Africa, many children who eat mainly rice become short of vitamin A, which can cause blindness. Scientists produced 'golden rice' by adding genes from a plant and a bacterium to rice. The genes allow the rice grains to make beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. The grains are golden in colour.
   Outline the main steps in producing golden rice.3 marks