Biology

Compare the processes of DNA replication and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Marks

Assess the potential of gene therapy in the treatment of a named disease. 5

Animal cloning involves inserting the nucleus from a somatic cell of one animal into the
A. plasmid of a bacterium.
B. uterus of a surrogate animal.
C. fertilised egg from another animal.
D. enucleated egg from another animal.

Outline the process of artificial pollination.

Explain a possible outcome of the use of artificial pollination on subsequent populations.

Bt cotton has been genetically engineered to produce an insecticide that kills cotton bollworm. It was introduced to a cotton-producing nation in 2002. The graphs show trends of national cotton yield, % Bt cotton grown, total insecticide use, insecticide use to control bollworms and insecticide use to control another insect pest (hemiptera).

Explain ONE reason why cotton yield changed between 2002 and 2013.

Bt cotton has been genetically engineered to produce an insecticide that kills cotton bollworm. It was introduced to a cotton-producing nation in 2002. The graphs show trends of national cotton yield, % Bt cotton grown, total insecticide use, insecticide use to control bollworms and insecticide use to control another insect pest (hemiptera).

To what extent do the data support the use of Bt cotton as a method of disease control in cotton?

A scientist transferred male gametes from one plant to another to achieve a desired characteristic in the offspring. Which genetic technology was the scientist using?
A. Gene cloning
B. Artificial pollination
C. Artificial insemination
D. Whole organism cloning

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, where the muscles waste away due to inadequate production of a protein called dystrophin. A group of researchers isolated the gene for dystrophin and inserted it into a plasmid extracted from a bacterium. A concentrated solution of these recombinant plasmids was then injected into the muscles of mice with a missense mutation in the gene for dystrophin. Which of the following is the function of the injected plasmid in treating the disorder?
A. To stimulate a humoral immune response to the bacteria in the treated mice.
B. To deliver the dystrophin protein directly to the muscles of the treated mice.
C. To act as a vector for the delivery of dystrophin genes to the muscle cells of the treated mice.
D. To create a strain of genetically engineered bacteria that will cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Many transgenic crops have been genetically engineered to have traits such as herbicide resistance. In at least four different crops the transgene has been found in nearby wild plant relatives of the cultivated crops. What is the most likely reason for this observation?
A. Crossing over in the wild plants
B. Gene flow from the crops to the wild plants
C. Genetic drift from the crops to the wild plants
D. Mutations in the wild plants that match the transgenes

Which of the following statements best explains why bacteria are used in gene cloning?
A. Bacteria can replicate non-bacterial sequences of DNA in a short time.
B. Bacteria allow the entry of foreign DNA into their nuclei.
C. Bacteria replicate exponentially by undergoing mitotic divisions.
D. Bacteria contain restriction enzymes that randomly cut chromosomes into fragments of varying size.

The diagram shows a bacterial plasmid with restriction sites for three different restriction endonucleases, Sal 1, Eco R1 and Bam H1. Which row in the table identifies the number of fragments produced if the plasmid was cut with the combinations of restriction endonucleases shown?

Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a minor crop grown in Australia for the edible and industrial oil markets. Commercial safflower production occurs mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. After oil is extracted from the seed, the remaining meal can be used as stockfeed. The first commercial GM (genetically modified) safflower was released in Australia in 2018. There are both supporters and critics for the use of this biotechnology.
Describe the benefits of ONE other named transgenic crop to agriculture.

Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a minor crop grown in Australia for the edible and industrial oil markets. Commercial safflower production occurs mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. After oil is extracted from the seed, the remaining meal can be used as stockfeed. The first commercial GM (genetically modified) safflower was released in Australia in 2018. There are both supporters and critics for the use of this biotechnology.
Discuss ONE social or cultural issue which has influenced the use of a named GM crop.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a rod-shaped bacterium found in soil. Its flagella allow it to move through the soil in response to chemicals released by wounded plant cells. Once it enters its plant host, it injects a section of its DNA called the T-DNA which is derived from its Ti (tumour inducing) plasmid into its host causing the host to form undifferentiated (tumour) tissue termed a crown gall.

Explain how agrobacterium can operate as a mutagen.

What is the purpose of cloning in agriculture?
A. Increasing the frequency of recessive traits
B. Preserving favourable traits in the offspring
C. Preserving genetic variability in a population
D. Increasing combinations of alleles in a population

Explain the impact that genetic technologies have had on the management of both infectious and non-infectious diseases.