Question 2:
(a) Discuss the advantages of genetically modified food towards human lives.
(b) A bacterial strain can synthesise a protein with a known benefit to humans. Explain briefly how a geneticist can acquire the bacterial gene and mass produce it immediately.
(c) Explain why a plant variety which is modified by genetic engineering to tolerate herbicide can be a threat to the environment.
Answer:
(a)
Advantages of GMF to human lives are as follows:
• Increase the shelf life and quality of food
• Increase nutritional quality and health
• Increase quantity of agricultural products
• Produce crops resistant to herbicides / heavy metals
(b)
Steps in acquiring and mass producing a bacterial gene:
• Targeted DNA is isolated from bacterial cell
• The DNA is cut and inserted into a cloning vector such as plasmid
• Recombinant plasmid is produced
• Recombinant plasmid is inserted into a host bacterial cell
• Bacteria containing the recombinant plasmid is cultured in agar plate
• Bacterial colony with the recombinant plasmid is identified
• The bacteria in the selected colony contains plasmid which carry the targeted gene
(c)
Threat of genetically modified plant towards herbicide to the environment:
• It is difficult to curb the growth of a plant variety which tolerates herbicide
• Stronger herbicide will be needed to kill it
• The plant can mutate to produce stronger variety
• The gene resistant to herbicide may be transferred from this plant to weed by pollinating agents.
• This situation can create super weed
• New herbicide has to be used to kill the super weed
• Therefore, farmers will have to always use herbicides
• Wide usage of herbicides will threaten the environment
(a) Discuss the advantages of genetically modified food towards human lives.
(b) A bacterial strain can synthesise a protein with a known benefit to humans. Explain briefly how a geneticist can acquire the bacterial gene and mass produce it immediately.
(c) Explain why a plant variety which is modified by genetic engineering to tolerate herbicide can be a threat to the environment.
Answer:
(a)
Advantages of GMF to human lives are as follows:
• Increase the shelf life and quality of food
• Increase nutritional quality and health
• Increase quantity of agricultural products
• Produce crops resistant to herbicides / heavy metals
(b)
Steps in acquiring and mass producing a bacterial gene:
• Targeted DNA is isolated from bacterial cell
• The DNA is cut and inserted into a cloning vector such as plasmid
• Recombinant plasmid is produced
• Recombinant plasmid is inserted into a host bacterial cell
• Bacteria containing the recombinant plasmid is cultured in agar plate
• Bacterial colony with the recombinant plasmid is identified
• The bacteria in the selected colony contains plasmid which carry the targeted gene
(c)
Threat of genetically modified plant towards herbicide to the environment:
• It is difficult to curb the growth of a plant variety which tolerates herbicide
• Stronger herbicide will be needed to kill it
• The plant can mutate to produce stronger variety
• The gene resistant to herbicide may be transferred from this plant to weed by pollinating agents.
• This situation can create super weed
• New herbicide has to be used to kill the super weed
• Therefore, farmers will have to always use herbicides
• Wide usage of herbicides will threaten the environment