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Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering Study ?'s

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 45mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

For centuries, certain animals have been crossed to produce offspring that have desirable qualities. Dogs have been mated to produce Labradors, beagles, and poodles. All of these dogs look and behave very differently from one another. This technique of producing organisms with specific qualities is known as

a)

Gene Replication

b)

natural selection

c)

random mutation

d)

selective breeding

2.

The diagram below represents a technique used in some molecular biology laboratories. This technique is a type of

a)

chromatography

b)

gel electrophoresis

c)

direct harvesting

d)

genetic engineering

3.

A gene that codes for resistance to glyphosate, a biodegradable weedkiller, has been inserted into certain plants. As a result, these plants will be more likely to

a)

produce cheinicals that kill weeds growing near them

b)

die when exposed to glyphosate

c)

convert glyphosate into fertilizer

d)

survive when glyphosate is applied to them

4.

For those individuals who have an allergic reaction to cats, a company in Los Angeles promises relief. They offer a new line of cats genetically modified to eliminate or reduce their allergy-causing properties. The development of this new line of cats most likely involved

a)

using natural selection to produce a new variety of cat

b)

altering the reproductive rate of cats

c)

changing the behavior of cats

d)

manipuladng the DNA of cats

5.

Researchers Cohn and Boyer transferred a gene from an African clawed frog into a bacterium. To accomplish this, these scientists had to use

a)

enzymes to cut out and insert the gene

b)

hereditary information located in amino acids

c)

radiation to increase the gene mutation rate of the bacterial cells

d)

cancer cells to promote rapid cell division

6.

Genetic engineering has the potential to correct human genetic disorders. In gene therapy, a defective gene is replaced by using a virus to insert a normal gene into the cells of an individual. This treatment will be most successful if the virus is inserted into cells that

a)

lack a nucleus

b)

are recycled after death, rather than removed from the body

c)

carry out one specific function, rather than multiple functions

d)

continue to divide during the life of the patient

7.

Many diabetics are now using insulin that was made by certain bacteria. The ability of these bacteria to produce insulin was most likely the result of

a)

deleting many DNA segments from bacterial DNA

b)

genetic mapping of bacterial DNA to activate the gene for insulin production

c)

inserting a portion of human DNA into the ring-shaped DNA of bacteria

d)

using radiation to trigger mutations

8.

Scientists have cloned sheep but have not yet cloned a human. The best explanation for this situation is that

a)

the technology to clone humans has not been explored

b)

human reproduction is very different from that of other mammals

c)

there are many ethical problems involved in cloning humans

d)

cloning humans would take too long

9.

Which statement best describes human insulin that is produced by genetically engineered bacteria?

a)

This insulin will not function normally in humans because it is produced by bacteria.

b)

This insulin is produced as a result of human insulin being inserted into bacteria cells.

c)

This insulin is produced as a result of exposing bacteria cells to radiation, which produces a mutation.

d)

This insulin may have fewer side effects than the insulin previously extracted from the pancreas of other

animals.

10.

In the United States, there has been relatively little experimentation involving the insertion of genes from other species into human DNA. One reason for the lack of these experiments is that

a)

the subunits of human DNA are different from the DNA subunits of other species

b)

there are many ethical questions to be answered before inserting foreign genes into human DNA

c)

inserting foreign DNA into human DNA would require using techniques completely different from those used

to insert foreign DNA into the DNA of other mammals

d)

human DNA always promotes human survival, so there is no need to alter it

11.

Recently, a type of genetically modified fish has been approved for sale for human consumption. The modified fish contain a growth hormone gene from a different fish species. As a result, the modified fish grow rapidly and are ready to sell in almost half the time it normally would take. The modified fish are able to produce the new growth hormone because

a)

each of their cells contains the new gene to produce growth hormone

b)

each gene contains the code to synthesize carbohydrates

c)

the altered gene directs the mitochondria to synthesize

d)

the modified body cells are able to reproduce by meiosis

12.

Some farmers currently grow gentically engineered crops. An argument against the use of this technology is that

a)

increases crop production

b)

produces insect-resistant plants

c)

long-term effects on humans are still being investigated

d)

always results in crops that do not taste good

13.

The accompanying diagram illustrates some key steps of a procedure in one area of biotechnology. The letter X most likely represents

a)

bacterial cells that are unable to synthesize insulin

b)

human cells that are able to synthesize antibodies

c)

bacterial cells that are able to synthesize insulin

d)

human cells that are unable to resist antibiotics

14.

Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium commonly known as Bt, produces a protein that can kill certain insects that feed on corn crops. Scientists have been successful in transferring the gene that codes for this protein from the bacterium to the corn, so the corn can now make the Bt protein. Corn borers, insects that eat corn, die when they feed on corn containing the Bt protein. A potential problem associated with increased production of Bt com is

a)

corn borers may stop feeding on corn plants

b)

corn borers may develop resistance to the Bt protein

c)

farmers may need to use less pesticide to control corn borers

d)

corn borers may compete with other insects that feed on corn plants

15.

As part of an experiment, a bacterial culture was grown in a lab for two days. No additional nutrients were added to the culture after the initial set-up. As the bacteria reproduced asexually, the population of the culture was measured every six hours. Some of the data related to the bacterial growth are shown in the data table below.

One likely reason bacteria would be grown in laboratory cultures would be to

a)

increase the number of antibiotics produced by human cells

b)

eliminate the cloning of cells that can fight disease

c)

increase the production of specialized proteins by using genetic engineering

d)

decrease the amount of bacteria naturally present in organisms