Question 1

Which of the following best describes the role of Escherichia coli in the production of human insulin?

Accepted Answer

E. coli is genetically engineered to express the human insulin gene, allowing for large-scale production of recombinant insulin.

Question 2

The AquAdvantage salmon is notable for which of the following genetic modifications?

Accepted Answer

Insertion of a fish growth hormone gene that allows the salmon to grow twice as fast as conventional salmon.

Question 3

Which technique is commonly used to insert genes into plant cells by shooting DNA-coated particles into the tissue?

Accepted Answer

Gene gun (Micro-Projectile Bombardment/Biolistic method)

Question 4

Golden rice was genetically engineered to address which nutritional deficiency?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin A deficiency

Question 5

Which of the following statements about CRISPR/Cas9 is correct?

Accepted Answer

CRISPR/Cas9 is a gene-editing tool originally discovered as a bacterial immune system against viruses.

Question 6

A transgenic plant that is resistant to glyphosate herbicide most likely contains a gene from which organism?

Accepted Answer

Salmonella typhimurium or E. coli encoding EPSP synthetase

Question 7

Which of the following is a major environmental concern associated with the widespread use of a single herbicide-resistant transgenic crop?

Accepted Answer

Development of herbicide-resistant weed species

Question 8

Bt corn is genetically modified to express a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis. What is the primary function of this protein?

Accepted Answer

It is toxic to certain insect pests, such as the Western Corn Rootworm, but not to humans.

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used as a model organism in plant biotechnology?

Accepted Answer

It has a short life cycle, is easy to propagate, and has a well-studied genome.

Question 10

Which of the following is a real-world application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology?

Accepted Answer

Fixing genetic diseases in animals by targeted gene editing

Question 11

What is the main advantage of using Taq polymerase in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)?

Accepted Answer

It is stable and active at high temperatures, allowing for repeated cycles of DNA denaturation and synthesis.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a typical use of transgenic plants in biotechnology?

Accepted Answer

Enhancing the plant's ability to photosynthesize by adding animal genes

Question 13

Which equation best represents the process of PCR amplification, where $n$ is the number of cycles and $N_0$ is the initial number of DNA molecules?

Accepted Answer

$N = N_0 	imes 2^n$

Question 14

Which of the following statements about GMOs and food safety is supported by scientific consensus?

Accepted Answer

No hazard has been shown to exist for foods produced by currently available GMOs.

Question 15

A researcher wants to visualize a specific stretch of DNA in a living cell. Which technique involving CRISPR would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Use of dead Cas9 fused to a fluorescent marker

Question 16

Which of the following is a potential risk of gene flow from transgenic crops to wild relatives?

Accepted Answer

Hybridization could introduce transgenes into wild populations, potentially affecting ecosystem balance.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the function of restriction enzymes in recombinant DNA technology?

Accepted Answer

They cut DNA at specific sequences, allowing for precise gene insertion.

Question 18

Which of the following is a reason why micropropagation (clonal propagation) is important in plant biotechnology?

Accepted Answer

It allows for the rapid production of genetically identical plants.

Question 19

Which of the following is a real-world example of a transgenic animal approved for human consumption?

Accepted Answer

AquAdvantage salmon with a growth hormone gene

Biotechnology: Genetic Engineering and Its Applications

Study Guide - Practice Questions