Genetic Technology: Biology Tingkatan 5 questions

Section A: objective questions

12 marks

Choose the best answer for each question.

What is genetic engineering?

A gene manipulation technique that modifies an organism's genetic material to produce a new combination of genes
Breeding two varieties of a plant to produce hybrids
Studying the inheritance of traits in a family
Using microorganisms to make food

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Genetic engineering modifies the genetic material to produce new combinations of genes (p. 280).

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.1.1

Textbook p. 280

An organism that contains recombinant DNA is called

a clone
a mutant
a transgenic organism
a hybrid

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An organism with recombinant DNA is a GMO, also called a transgenic organism.

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 280

In the production of insulin by bacteria, which enzyme joins the insulin gene to the plasmid?

Restriction enzyme
DNA polymerase
Amylase
DNA ligase

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DNA ligase joins the cut gene to the cut plasmid. Restriction enzymes only cut.

For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 283

Which of the following is a possible disadvantage of genetically modified food?

Lower cost of food production
Higher nutritional value
An antibiotic-resistance gene may be transferred to humans
Reduced use of pesticides

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The others are advantages (Table 13.1, p. 281).

For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 282

Which organism is used to produce human insulin commercially?

Escherichia coli
Bacillus thuringiensis
Alcanivorax borkumensis
Arabidopsis

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E. coli carries the human insulin gene. B. thuringiensis gives Bt toxin and A. borkumensis degrades oil.

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 282

Bt cotton reduces the use of pesticides because it

grows taller than normal cotton
produces a toxin that kills the pest feeding on it
attracts natural enemies of pests
has thicker leaves

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The Bt gene makes the plant produce toxin that damages the pest's digestive system.

For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 287

In gene therapy, the patient's abnormal gene is

removed and left empty
cut into fragments
multiplied in bacteria
replaced by a normal gene

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A normal gene, carried in by a virus, replaces the abnormal gene (Figure 13.4).

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 285

Why can DNA profiling not distinguish identical twins?

They have the same blood group only
They have identical DNA
Their DNA cannot be extracted
They have no restriction sites

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Everyone's DNA is unique except identical twins, who have the same DNA.

For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 286

Bioremediation of an oil spill uses

bacteria that degrade oil
chemical detergents
fertilisers
burning

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Bacteria such as Alcanivorax borkumensis use oil as an energy source and degrade it.

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 288

Diagram 1 shows DNA profiles of blood from a knife and four people. Who is the most likely source of the blood?

DNA gel with lanes for knife, victim, suspect 1, suspect 2 and suspect 3 — Diagram 1

The victim
Suspect 1
Suspect 2
Suspect 3

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The blood on the knife has bands 1, 3, 4 and 7. Only suspect 2 has exactly these bands.

For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 287

Diagram 2 shows DNA profiles of a mother, her child and two men, X and Y. Which statement is correct?

DNA gel with lanes for mother, child, man X and man Y — Diagram 2

Neither man can be the father
Man Y is the father because he shares band 1 with the child
Both men could be the father
Man X is the father because all the child's bands not from the mother appear in X

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Bands 4 and 6 in the child do not come from the mother. Both are in X; Y lacks band 4.

For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 287

Which is the best description of biotechnology?

The study of only living plants
The use of technology or methods to manipulate organisms to produce biological products
The study of fossils
The manufacture of machines that copy living things

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This is the textbook definition (p. 284).

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.2.1

Textbook p. 284

Section B: structured questions

25 marks

Answer all questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

Human insulin is produced on a large scale by genetically engineered bacteria.

[1 mark] (a)Name the circular DNA of a bacterium that carries the insulin gene.

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Plasmid1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (b)Name the enzyme that cuts the plasmid and the insulin gene.

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Restriction enzyme1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (c)State the function of DNA ligase.

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Joins the insulin gene into the cut plasmid1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (d)Name the bacterium that is commonly used.

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Escherichia coli1

Tick each point you got.

For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 283

Super Salmon is a genetically modified fish.

[2 marks] (a)What gene was inserted into the Atlantic salmon, and from which fish?

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Growth hormone gene [1]1
From Chinook salmon [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (b)State one advantage of Super Salmon to humans.

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Grows faster / can be produced throughout the year1

Tick each point you got.

[2 marks] (c)Is Super Salmon a transgenic organism? Explain.

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Yes [1]1
It contains a gene from another organism / recombinant DNA [1]1

Tick each point you got.

For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 282

Diagram 3 shows DNA profiles of skin cells found on a window latch after a burglary, and of three suspects.

DNA gel with lanes for window latch and three suspects — Diagram 3

[2 marks] (a)Which suspect most likely broke in? Give a reason.

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Suspect 3 [1]1
All his bands match the DNA from the window latch [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (b)Name one sample, other than skin, from which DNA can be taken at a crime scene.

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Blood / semen / hair follicle1

Tick each point you got.

[2 marks] (c)One of a pair of identical twins is the suspect. Can DNA profiling tell them apart? Explain.

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No [1]1
Identical twins have the same DNA [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[1 mark] (d)Give one other use of DNA profiling.

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Settle paternity or maternity dispute / identify genetic disease / match organ donor and recipient1

Tick each point you got.

For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, standard 13.2.2

Textbook p. 287

A farmer plans to plant genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops.

[2 marks] (a)State two advantages of growing genetically modified crops.

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Higher yield / helps overcome food shortage [1]1
Lower production cost / less pesticide used / more nutritious [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[2 marks] (b)Explain why a herbicide-tolerant plant can be a threat to the environment.

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The tolerant gene may spread to wild plants / weeds [1]1
Producing weeds that cannot be controlled by herbicide / endangering natural species [1]1

Tick each point you got.

For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, standard 13.1.2

Textbook p. 281

A non-governmental organisation proposes that all genetically modified food must be labelled.

[2 marks] (a)Justify the proposal.

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Consumers have the right to know what they eat and to choose [1]1
Long-term effects on health are unknown / allows people with allergies to avoid it [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[2 marks] (b)State two ways biotechnology benefits agriculture.

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Produces best livestock and crop breeds / high-yield paddy [1]1
Tissue culture and cloning speed up reproduction [1]1

Tick each point you got.

[2 marks] (c)Explain how bioremediation helps the environment.

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Bacteria degrade oil / pollutants [1]1
Reduces pollution of the ocean / protects the ecosystem [1]1

Tick each point you got.

For the teacher: Evaluating, high difficulty, standard 13.2.3

Textbook p. 289

Section A: objective questions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Section B: structured questions

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17