Question 1

A shuttle vector is a plasmid that is used to move pieces of DNA among organisms, such as bacterial, fungal, and plant cells.

Accepted Answer

A shuttle vector is indeed a plasmid that can move DNA fragments between different types of cells, including bacterial, fungal, and plant cells.

Question 2

The practice of breeding plants and animals for desirable traits, such as high crop yield, is called natural selection.

Accepted Answer

The practice of breeding plants and animals for desirable traits is called artificial selection, while natural selection refers to the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population due to their impact on survival and reproduction.

Question 3

Pseudomonas syringae is found naturally in the soil. Sold as Snomax, it is used to make snow at ski resorts. The same bacterium with a gene deletion (Ice-minus) is used to prevent ice formation on plants. Should Snomax and Ice-minus be considered modified organisms and subject to precautions of releasing genetically modified organisms? Explain why or why not.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Pseudomonas syringae is found naturally in the...

Question 4

The disadvantage of genomic libraries over cDNA libraries is that genomic libraries contain gene introns.

Accepted Answer

Genomic libraries contain all the DNA, including introns, while cDNA libraries only contain the DNA that codes for proteins, excluding introns.

Question 5

Your research group is investigating the possible use of genetically -engineered cells to produce a vaccine for malaria. List the pros and cons of using E. coli, Saccharomyces, and animal cells to produce the vaccine.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your research group is investigating the possible...

Question 6

In recombinant DNA technology, a vector is a self-replicating segment of DNA, such as a plasmid or viral genome.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct definition of a vector in recombinant DNA technology.

Question 7

Bioinformatics is the use of computer technology to compare and analyze genome sequence.

Accepted Answer

Bioinformatics is a field that combines biology, computer science, statistics, and information technology to analyze and interpret biological data, especially genomic data. Bioinformatics tools and techniques allow researchers to compare and analyze DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, identify genetic variations, study gene expression, and understand how different genes and proteins interact with each other.

Question 8

Restriction enzymes are

Accepted Answer

Restriction enzymes are bacterial enzymes that cut DNA at specific sequences, often used to protect bacteria from phage infections by destroying phage DNA.

Question 9

The term biotechnology refers exclusively to the use of genetically engineered organisms for the production of desired products.

Accepted Answer

Biotechnology refers to the use of living organisms, cells, and their processes for the development of beneficial products and applications. It can involve genetic engineering, but it is not limited to it. Other techniques such as fermentation, tissue culture, and gene editing are also part of biotechnology.

Question 10

Which of the following processes is NOT involved in making cDNA?

Accepted Answer

Translation is not involved in making cDNA; it is the process of synthesizing proteins from mRNA, not converting RNA to DNA.

Question 11

PCR can be used to identify an unknown bacterium because

Accepted Answer

The answer of PCR can be used to identify an...

Question 12

The Bt toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis has been introduced into some crop plants to make them resistant to insect destruction.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Certain crop plants, such as corn and cotton, have been genetically modified to produce the Bt toxin, which can kill specific insect pests that feed on the plants without harming beneficial insects or humans.

Question 13

The local public health agency has received reports of an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis among attendees at a city-sponsored chili cook-off. What techniques from recombinant DNA technology would the agency likely use to investigate this outbreak? Describe the expected results from these techniques.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The local public health agency has received...

Question 14

One of the first commercial successes of recombinant DNA technology was the production of human insulin using genetically engineered E. coli.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In 1982, biosynthetic human insulin became commercially available, produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria carrying the human insulin gene. This was one of the first successful applications of recombinant DNA technology in medicine.

Question 15

Nearly all cells, including E. coli and yeast, naturally take up DNA from their surroundings without chemical treatment.

Accepted Answer

E. coli and yeast, like most cells, do not naturally take up DNA from their surroundings efficiently. They typically require chemical treatment or other methods (like electroporation) to facilitate DNA uptake, a process known as transformation.

Question 16

The study of genetic material taken directly from the environment is

Accepted Answer

Metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, allowing researchers to analyze the collective genomes of microorganisms in a specific environment.

Question 17

The development of DNA technology is bringing profound changes to science, agriculture and healthcare. Provide one example of a DNA technology and provide at least one advantage and one example of a concern or problem associated with its use.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The development of DNA technology is bringing...

Question 18

The random shotgun method is used in

Accepted Answer

The answer of The random shotgun method is used in
...

Question 19

The Ti plasmid isolated from Agrobacterium can be used to insert DNA into any type of plant.

Accepted Answer

The Ti plasmid is primarily used to insert DNA into dicotyledonous plants and is less effective in monocotyledonous plants, indicating it cannot be used to insert DNA into any type of plant.

Quiz 9: Biotechnology and Dna Technology