Biotechnology Review - L.16.10

Which of the following findings, if true, would support an argument in favor of GM (genetically modified) foods?

• Farmers using herbicide-resistant crops pollute groundwater more than farmers growing non-GM crops.

• The cost of using GM crops is prohibitively expensive for 75% of all farmers.

• Farmers who grow GM crops have much higher yields than farmers growing unmodified crops.

• The populations of bees on farms growing insect-resistant crops are half as large as bee populations on other farms.

The value of inserting human genes suspected of causing Alzheimer disease into mice is to

• Use the mice for production of a vaccine for the disease.

• Make antibodies, which can be injected into suffering patients.

• Make mice act more human.

• Develop mice that can serve as models for study of this condition.

Which technology below would probably be the most important to a person who has diabetes and has to take insulin every day?

• Testing parents for genetic disorders before they have children.

• Using recombinant DNA to produce human hormones from bacteria.

• Engineering fruits and vegetables that resist insects and other pests.

• Developing ways to identify criminals through DNA fingerprinting.

Stem cell research has been a controversial subject in past years. What is the reason for this?

• Replacement tissue will never be grown from a person’s own stem cells.

• The cells cannot be isolated.

• Stem cell techniques will not accomplish the intended purpose.

• Cells for study are often taken from human embryos.

Which of the following technologies affect the way that crimes are solved today?

• Gene Therapy

• Genetic Testing

• DNA Fingerprinting

• Genetic Modification

The Human Genome Project began in 1989 with the purpose of identifying the thousands of genes of the human genome. The first draft of the genome was released in 2000 and was completed in 2003. Which of the following describes the main benefit of mapping the human genome?

• The ability to clone humans

• The ability to design new human genes

• The ability to easily identify genetically-based diseases

• The ability to patent specific human genes

About one-sixth of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water. Biotechnology-based tests and filters for drinking water are being developed to help alleviate (reduce) this problem. What is the most direct effect of the lack of clean drinking water on this portion of our population?

• Lack of clean water can lead to an increase in poverty and malnutrition.

• The risk of contracting water-borne diseases, such as cholera, increases.

• Crops grown with unsanitary water will likely spread disease when eaten.

• Without access to clean water, the risk of dehydration increases.

Great strides are being made in identifying genetic markers for disease within the human genome. Which of the following would be considered an ethical misuse of this information?

• Insurance companies refusing to insure a patient based on information they required about the person’s genome indicating a high risk for a certain disease.

• Hospitals using genetic information about specific patients in order to develop treatments for those individuals.

• Individuals deciding not to have children based on the results of genetic testing showing they carry the allele for a fatal disease.

• Doctors informing their patients that they are likely to develop a debilitating illness for which there is no treatment based on a patient-requested genetic test.

What do all forms of biotechnology have in common?

• They all involve modifying an organism’s genetic makeup.

• They all create intense public debate when they are first introduced.

• They all make use of living organisms to do a job or provide a service.

• They all combine the use of machines with living organisms in some way.

Biotechnology cannot be used to:

• Alter the intelligence of newborns.

• Produce large quantities of a human protein.

• Produce safe and effective vaccines.

• Identify genetic disorders in adults and fetuses.