TOPIC 8: COORDINATION, RESPONSE AND GENE TECHNOLOGY

Chapter 8C: Gene technology

1 Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(1)
1 Restriction endonuclease enzymes and ligase enzymes are used in the
production of recombinant DNA.
2 Liposome wrapping, gene guns and microinjection may be used to introduce
foreign DNA into bacterial cells.
3 Plasmids may be used as vectors to introduce foreign DNA into plant cells.

A 1 only
B 1 and 2 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 2 and 3 only

Your answer
(Total for Question 1 = 1 mark)

2 The diagram shows how a genetically modified bacterium, able to produce the
human hormone insulin, can be selected with the use of tetracycline and
streptomycin.
Tetracycline and streptomycin are antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis in
bacteria, preventing their growth.

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 (a) The gene for human insulin is obtained by taking mRNA from beta cells in the islets
of Langerhans in the human pancreas and treated with an enzyme to make cDNA.
(i) Name the enzyme that is used to produce cDNA from mRNA.
(1)
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(ii) Suggest why mRNA is taken from beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the
pancreas.
(2)
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(iii) Scientists know that the gene for insulin is on chromosome 11. However,
mRNA is used to make the gene needed to produce recombinant plasmids,
instead of obtaining the gene from chromosome 11.
Suggest why.
(1)
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(b) (i) In this procedure, any E. coli bacteria that do not take up a
plasmid will not grow on plate 1.
Explain why.
(2)
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(ii) In this procedure any E. coli bacteria that have taken up a non-
transformed plasmid will grow on both plate 1 and plate 2.
Explain why.
(4)
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(iii) Bacteria that have taken up a recombinant plasmid will grow on

plate 1 but not on plate 2.
Explain why.
(3)
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(c) Which colonies, from plate 1, should be taken and cultured to produce human insulin
to treat people with diabetes?
(1)
A colonies A, B and D
B colonies A, B, C and E
C colonies E, C and F
D colonies D and F

Your answer

(d) (i) State one possible risk from using antibiotic resistance genes
as markers for identifying transformed bacteria.
(1)
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(ii) Identify a type of gene that is now used, instead of an antibiotic

resistance gene, to identify recombinant bacteria.

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 (1)
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(Total for Question 2 = 16 marks)

3 Some types of fish contain omega 3 oils, also known as fish oils, which humans
need in their diet for brain development and function. Due to overfishing, these
types of fish are now in short supply.
These fish can be farmed but they do not synthesise omega 3 oils themselves;
they have to be fed on fish caught from the wild, to add the omega 3 oils to their
diet. The wild fish on which the farmed fish are fed obtain omega 3 oils from the
algae that they eat.
Scientists are developing genetically modified cereal crops, such as wheat, that
contain the gene for omega 3 oils.
(a) Suggest where the gene for the omega 3 oils is obtained by the scientists, in order to
genetically modify the cereal crops to produce omega 3 oils.
(1)
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(b) Describe one potential advantage and one potential disadvantage of genetically
modifying wheat to produce omega 3 oils.
(2)
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(Total for Question 2 = 3 marks)

TOTAL FOR ASSESSMENT = 20 MARKS

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This document may have been altered from the original.