Deck 6: Genetic Modification, Global Warming, and Plant Kingdom: Exploring Impacts and Benefits

Question 1

Identify the organisms that would be considered genetically modified. Check all that apply.

A) a bacteria with a mutation that protects it from an antibiotic
B) a plum that has been given a new gene that protects it from a virus
C) a hybrid fruit created through the cross pollination of two species in the same genus
D) a tomato that ripens more slowly because a gene was removed
E) a goat that is a clone

Answer 1

a plum that has been given a new gene that protects it from a virus
a tomato that ripens more slowly because a gene was removed

Question 2

From the list below, select all impacts of global warming and global climate change.

A) increase and/or decrease in temperature patterns
B) increase and/or increase in rain patterns
C) pests that are resistant to insecticides
D) weeds that are resistant to herbicide
E) change in distribution of animals and plants

Answer 2

increase and/or decrease in temperature patterns
increase and/or increase in rain patterns
change in distribution of animals and plants

Question 3

Which of the following statements describe a potential benefit of genetically modified plants? Check all that apply.

A) Plants can be more resistant to pests.
B) It can replace the plant's need for photosynthesis
C) Plants can be more resistant to the effects of climate change.
D) Plants can be modified to produce vaccines for human use
E) It can make plants more nutritious.

Answer 3

Plants can be more resistant to pests.
Plants can be more resistant to the effects of climate change.
Plants can be modified to produce vaccines for human use
It can make plants more nutritious.

Question 4

Which of the following statements explain how genetic modification can benefit agricuture in the face of climate change? Check all that apply.

A) increase plant yield
B) reduce the need for water
C) increase tolarence to salinity levels in the soil
D) make plants more nutritious
E) eliminate the need for photosynthesis

Question 5

Identify the characteristics common to all members of the plant kingdom. Check all that apply.

A) prokaryotic
B) multicellular
C) photoautotrophic
D) cells lack a nucleus
E) contain tissues and organ systems

Question 6

Identify the characteristics that describe the sporophyte phase of the plant life cycle. Check all that apply.

A) haploid
B) diploid
C) produces gametes
D) produces spores
E) multicellular

Question 7

Which of the following is a reason why plants produce oils? Check all that apply.

A) structural building materials
B) an energy source
C) defensive compounds
D) to produce DNA and RNA
E) to produce enzymes

Question 8

Select the three ways, as described in the module, that scientists are improving the plant life cycle through genetic modification.

A) larger fruits
B) delayed fruit ripening
C) increased crop yields
D) larger root systems
E) increased nutritive value

Question 9

Which of the following are accurate statements regarding the structure of DNA? Check all that apply.

A) DNA is a single-stranded molecule.
B) Nucleotides are the building blocks of a DNA molecule.
C) The four types of nucleotides in DNA are adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
D) The bases within a DNA molecule are connected together by hydrogen bonds.
E) The specific pairing of bases within a DNA molecule is known as complementary base pairing.

Question 10

Select all of the answers that accurately describe enzymes.

A) Enzymes are two-dimenstional molecules.
B) Enzymes are generally composed of protein.
C) Enzymes are also called catalysts.
D) An enzyme can interact with many types of substrates.
E) The part of an enzyme that interacts with the substrate is known as the active site.

Question 11

Which of the following method(s) could be used by a researcher to modify an existing gene to produce products that are beneficial to us? Check all that apply.

A) PCR
B) mutagenesis
C) DNA microarray
D) CRISPR
E) automated DNA sequencing

Question 12

The benefits of genome editing include (check all that apply)

A) studying the role a gene plays within an organism's genome.
B) being able to remove and replace a small section of nucleotides.
C) creating genes with enhanced characteristics.
D) being able to make many copies of a specific gene.
E) tagging DNA probes with fluorescent dyes.

Question 13

The two primary ways that genetically modified plants are created are

A) breeding plants with specific desirable traits.
B) introducing foreign genes into a plant.
C) planting several hundred seeds but only allowing the strongest, largest seedlings to grow.
D) growing plants under artificial light.
E) manipulating the genes within a plant.

Question 14

From the list below, select all the risks associated with gene transfer.

A) evolution of super-weeds
B) potential allergic reaction if GM food is consumed
C) harm to beneficial (non-targeted) insect populations
D) a decrease in the nutritional quality of non-target food crops
E) a decrease in crop yields

Question 15

Which of the following are True statements regarding the effects of GMOs on non-target species? Check all that apply.

A) There is well-documented evidence that plants genetically modified for pest resistance are harmful to non-target insect species.
B) Studies on the effects of GM pest resistance and its effects on non-target insect species are primarily focused on plants modified with Bt.
C) Some non-target insect species may benefit from the use of plants genetically modified with Bt.
D) Since studies on the effects of Bt on non-target insect species support that it is safe, studies on other types of GM pest resistance are not necessary.

Question 16

What are some of the benefits associated with the genetic modification of animals? Check all that apply.

A) increased levels of methane gas
B) the production of leaner meats
C) faster growth rate
D) the production of pharmaceutical compounds
E) higher nutritional content

Question 17

From the list provided, select the animals that scientists have genetically modified to increase or improve the production of food products.

A) chickens
B) pigs
C) cows
D) goats
E) sheep

Question 18

There are three reasons why bacteria are genetically modified. Provide two in your response.

Question 19

List the two challenges that gene expression in eukaryotes must overcome to make proteins.

Question 20

______ breeding has allowed farmers to produce a large variety of food, such as kale, cabbage, and cauliflower, from a single species.

Question 21

The process used by plants to convert H₂O, CO₂, and sunlight into food for the plant is called _____.

Question 22

______ rice has been genetically modified to have higher concentrations of nutrients to help prevent human disease.

Question 23

A ______ is a segment of DNA that encodes for a protein.

Question 24

One next-generation GMO is the use ofMetarhizium pingshaense, which is a transgenic ______ that is used to treat malaria.

Question 25

The World Health Organization defines a GMO organism as one that has had its genetic information altered

A) in a way that would not occur in nature.
B) through a mating process.
C) through natural recombination.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 26

______ combined genes from two viruses to create the first recombinant DNA which led to the foundation for the first GMO experiments.

A) Paul Berg
B) Herbert Boyer
C) Stanley Cohen
D) Robert Koch

Question 27

Using a plasmid, Boyer and Cohen were able to makeE. coli antibiotic resistant to ______.

A) kanamycin
B) penicillin
C) chloramphenicol
D) tetracycline

Question 28

Flavr-savr ______ were the first GMO that were approved by the FDA for human consumption.

A) tomatoes
B) corn
C) oranges
D) bananas

Question 29

Since the success of Flavr-savr tomatoes, there has been a

A) growing trend to produce more GMOs in agriculture.
B) steady push back by the public and GMOs are not being consumed.
C) growing trend, but recently there has been a drastic decrease in the use of GMOs in agriculture.

Question 30

Genetically modified bacteria can be used in biotechnology to produce

A) pharmaceutical compounds.
B) plants that are protected from insects.
C) biofuels.
D) organic compounds.

Question 31

By genetically engineering pigs, scientists are investigating ways to

A) produce pharmaceutical compounds in their meat.
B) provide organs for human transplants.
C) treat cystic fibrosis.
D) increase the nutritional value of food.

Question 32

European corn crops have been genetically modified with the ______ gene fromBacillus thuringiensis which acts as an insecticide.

A) endotoxin
B) exotoxin
C) enterotoxin
D) cellulolytic toxin

Question 33

Wheat plants have been modified to increase the rate of photosynthesis to decrease the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere in response to the global concern of

A) climate change.
B) pest management.
C) the growth of the human population.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 34

Global climate change is acccelerating the development of GMOs to

A) decrease the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere.
B) produce plants that can withstand a change in salinity.
C) produce plants that can withstand drought.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 35

The testing and release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in particular GM plants, is tightly regulated internationally to prevent any negative effects on the environment or human health. Which of the following statements support researchers' use of cisgenic organisms?

A) Cisgenic plants must be treated with pesticides in the same way as traditionally bred plants.
B) Cisgenic plants are only altered with genes from bacteria while transgenic plants are altered with animal genes.
C) The genome of a cisgenic plant, like the genome of a traditionally bred plant, is not altered with DNA from a different species.
D) Cisgenic plants produce crop yields that are similar to traditionally bred plants.

Question 36

The modern era of genetic manipulation began when scientists first learned how to insert genes into

A) frogs.
B) roundworms.
C) bacteria.
D) sheep.

Question 37

Which of the following best explains the difference between selective breeding and genetic engineering?

A) Selective breeding manipulates the DNA of animals and plants, whereas genetic engineering manipulates the DNA of bacteria and fungi.
B) Genetic engineering has been going on for thousands of years, whereas selective breeding began in 1972.
C) Genetic engineering involves directly manipulating the DNA of organisms, whereas selective breeding makes use of existing, naturally present variation and the process of sexual reproduction.
D) Selective breeding is the process of locating a specific gene in one organism, whereas genetic engineering is the process that retrieves and inserts the gene into another organism.

Question 38

In the first GMO experiment, researchers genetically modifiedE. coli by giving the bacteria the gene it needed to

A) produce insulin.
B) produce growth hormone.
C) provide antibiotic resistance.
D) produce a vaccine.

Question 39

Small, circular pieces of DNA found in bacterial cells that can be manipulated in developing GMOs are known as

A) genes.
B) plasmids.
C) ribosomes.
D) vesicles.

Question 40

Which of the following is a way that bacteria have been genetically modified?

A) Bacteria have been engineered to produce proteins that protect plants.
B) Bacteria have been genetically modified to break down toxic chemicals.
C) Bacteria have been genetically modified to produce biofuels.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 41

Which of the following is a potential use for genetically modified animals?

A) GM animals are good models for studying human diseases.
B) GM animals can be used to grow organs for human transplants.
C) GM animals can be modified to increase their nutritional value to humans.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 42

One of the challenges that results from an increase in global population is the limitation of arable land. If the world population increases 30% by 2050, food production per acre of land would need to increase by

A) 70%.
B) 30%.
C) 50%.
D) 100%.

Question 43

Which process has been used to modify arctic apples to prevent browning?

A) RNA interference
B) CRISPR
C) DNA sequencing
D) DNA microarray

Question 44

Which process provides the nucleotides that are found within a gene or a targeted area of the genome?

A) RNA interference
B) CRISPR
C) DNA sequencing
D) particle bombardment

Question 45

The GMO procedure that coats very small fragments with tungsten or gold with genetically modified DNA and then uses a gene gun for delivery is called

A) RNA interference.
B) CRISPR.
C) DNA sequencing.
D) particle bombardment.

Question 46

The browning of an apple is due to the expression of the ______ gene. This gene produces the brown trait.

A) PPO
B) HGP
C) HDGP
D) PGE

Question 47

Plants genetically modified with the Bt gene

A) are more salt tolerant.
B) are more cold-hardy.
C) are more pest resistant.
D) live longer and produce more fruit.

Question 48

If the human population continues to increase at the rate of 1.05% per year, by the year 2050, agricutural production would need to increase by

A) 70%.
B) 50%.
C) 25%.
D) 90%.

Question 49

Which of the following is considered the most primitive group of plants?

A) lycophytes
B) ferns
C) mosses
D) gymnosperms

Question 50

Which of the following is an inaccurate statement about the alternation of generations in plants?

A) The sporophyte generation makes spores.
B) The gametophyte generation makes gametes.
C) The gametophyte generation is responsible for photosynthesis in all groups but the mosses.
D) The zygote becomes the sporophyte.

Question 51

______ is a complex carbohydrate that provides plants with structure.

A) Fiber
B) Oil
C) Cellulose
D) Lignin

Question 52

Genetic modification of fruits and vegetables will address the ______ loss of food in supermarkets due to over ripening.

A) 15%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 53

The ______ enzyme reacts with oxygen and polyphenols in plants and causes fruit to brown.

A) polyphenol oxidase
B) polyphenol catalase
C) polyphenol hydrogenase
D) polyphenol oxygenase

Question 54

By making plants that are insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant there has been

A) in increase in yield of approximatley 25%.
B) a decrease in brown coloration of the fruit.
C) a production of better flavored fruit
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 55

In the 1990s, researchers made a variety of rice that contained ______ to decrease the amount of children dying of vitamin A deficiency.

A) beta-carotene
B) lycophene
C) gibberellins
D) ethylene

Question 56

Arctic apples were created through a process of genetic engineering. Researchers used a technique known as RNA interference, which silenced the expression of the gene that produces polyphenol oxidase. Silencing this gene and eliminating the production of polyphenol oxidase prevents the fruit from browning. RNA interference is an example of what type of genetic engineering?

A) intragenic engineering
B) cisgenic engineering
C) transgenic engineering
D) selective breeding

Question 57

What part of the flower produces pollen grains?

A) petals
B) ovary
C) embryo sac
D) anther

Question 58

Which of the following statements accurately distinguishes the light-dependent and the light-independent reactions?

A) The light-independent reactions produce oxygen as a waste product, whereas the light-dependent reactions produce carbohydrates.
B) The light-independent reactions come before the light-dependent reactions.
C) The light-dependent reaction splits water and releases oxygen, whereas the light-independent reaction utilizes carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates.
D) The light-independent reactions produce ATP and NADPH, whereas the light-dependent reactions split water in order to replace electrons.

Question 59

Which of the following statements best explains the primary role of photosynthesis in plant nutrition?

A) Photosynthesis takes solar energy and converts it into the chemical potential energy of carbohydrates.
B) The primary role of photosynthesis is to produce oxygen, which is needed to break carbohydrates apart.
C) The primary role of photosynthesis is to produce the eggs and sperm needed to form the sporophyte generation.
D) The primary role of photosynthesis is to split water, which liberates electrons that can be used to build proteins.

Question 60

A researcher is comparing a plot of agricultural land planted with Bt corn to a plot of agricultural land planted with non-GMO corn. Based on what she knows about Bt, she would expect to find

A) the Bt corn plants are shorter than the non-GMO corn plants.
B) fewer weed species in the Bt corn field.
C) an increased crop yield in the Bt corn field.
D) fewer corn kernels per cob on the Bt plants.

Question 61

Golden rice has been genetically modified to produce

A) vitamin C.
B) vitamin A.
C) vitamin B12.
D) vitamin D.

Question 62

How was the rice genome modified in order to create golden rice?

A) One gene from a daffodil was added to the rice genome.
B) Two genes from a soil bacterium were added to the rice genome.
C) No genes were added, but three genes within the rice genome were rearranged to alter the metabolic pathway that normally produces vitamin C.
D) One gene from a daffodil and one gene from a soil bacterium were added to the rice genome.

Question 63

The process of using the information contained within a gene to produce a protein is known as

A) gene synthesis.
B) gene expression.
C) gene declaration.
D) genetic construction.

Question 64

Genes

A) encode for proteins.
B) are segments of DNA that control traits.
C) consist of a nucleotide sequence.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 65

The function of DNA is to

A) store information for producing all the molecules required by cells for life.
B) provide structure to the nucleus in eukaryotic cells.
C) give the cell energy to cellular division.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 66

There are three steps in a PCR process. In the third step, the temperature is usually set at 72^oC because this is the optimum temperature for the

A) primers to anneal to the complementary bases of the DNA.
B) denaturing of the two strands of DNA.
C) Taq DNA polymerase to add in complementary base pairs.
D) denaturing of the primers.

Question 67

Which of the following statements is an accurate description of the stages of gene expression?

A) The processes of transcription requires the copying of the entire genome and is then translated into amino acids.
B) The process of transcription makes mRNA from a segment of DNA, and is then translated into amino acids.
C) The process of transcription makes a DNA from a segment of RNA, and is then transated into amino acids.

Question 68

A stretch of fluorescent single-stranded DNA used to detect the presence of a specific DNA sequence by complementary pairing to it is called a

A) DNA probe.
B) nucleotide locator.
C) gene clone.
D) polymerase chain reactor.

Question 69

Why would a researcher use PCR?

A) PCR would help a researcher identify specific genes within a large genome.
B) PCR is used to insert foreign genes into a cell.
C) PCR allows a researcher to make many copies of the same gene.
D) PCR allows a researcher to compare DNA samples from a crime scene to DNA samples from the suspects.

Question 70

The PCR process requires three steps. In the first step, the temperature is usually set at 95?C because this is the optimum temperature for the

A) annealing of the primers.
B) denaturing of the DNA double strands.
C) Taq DNA polymerase to add in the complementary nucleotides.
D) denaturing of the primers.

Question 71

Which part of the CRISPR complex tags the target gene to be destroyed?

A) Cas9
B) guide RNA
C) PAM sequence
D) matching genome sequence

Question 72

What is the first step scienitists would use when usingA. tumefaciens in cloning to create a GMO?

A) The plasmid is cut and the new gene is ligated into it.
B) The modified plasmid is put intoA. tumefaciens.
C) A. tumefaciens is used to infect a plant cell.
D) The new gene is transferred from the plasmid into the plant cell chromosome.

Question 73

The intentional change in the genetic material to interfere with its function in a cell or organism is known as

A) artificial selection.
B) gene amplification.
C) natural selection.
D) mutagenesis.

Question 74

Genome editing can be accomplished by using

A) CRISPR.
B) DNA microarray.
C) natural selection.
D) PCR.

Question 75

In gene expression ______ is creating mRNA from DNA; and ______ is creating a protein from the mRNA.

A) transcription; translation
B) translation; transcription

Question 76

The ultimate goal(s) of successful plant GMOs is(are) to

A) grow more food on less land that requires less water and chemicals.
B) focus on reversing climate change.
C) develop plants that are heat and drought resistant.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 77

Which of the following is the focus of current GM plant research related to improving health of the human population?

A) removing carcinogens from tobacco
B) creating plants that contain vaccines
C) producing foods that are higher in nutrient content
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 78

Which of the following best describes the adverse health risks and monitoring associated with GMOs?

A) Because transgenic organisms contain genes from a different source, they can cause allergic reactions in some people.
B) Because cisgenic organisms contain genes that have been modified to change the trait, they can cause allergic reactions in some people if they are allergic to the food in its unmodified form.
C) GMO crops must undergo rigorous testing to demonstrate they are relatively safe.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 79

Which of the following best describes the ecological effects of GMOs?

A) Genetically modified crops that contain the Bt endotoxin may kill non-target insects.
B) Genetically modified crops that contain the Bt endotoxin may contribute to resistant strains of insects.
C) Genetically modified crops that contain the Bt endotoxin are relatively safe for the environment and have not shown a negative impact on species.
D) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 80

What role doesA. tumefaciens play in producing GM plants?

A) Genes from A. tumefaciens provide plants with resistance to pests.
B) Genes fromA. tumefaciens enhance production of vitamin A and thereby boost the nutritional profile of plants.
C) A. tumefaciens acts as a vector for introducing foreign genes into plants.
D) A. tumefaciens has been gentically modified to produce the fluorescent dyes used to create the DNA probes needed to create GM plants.