Question 1

Which of the following best describes a transgenic organism?

Accepted Answer

An organism into which foreign DNA has been introduced artificially.

Question 2

In the production of human insulin using bacteria, which step involves the creation of recombinant DNA?

Accepted Answer

Inserting the human insulin gene into a bacterial plasmid.

Question 3

Which enzyme is inhibited by glyphosate in plants, leading to plant death if the gene is not modified?

Accepted Answer

5-enolpyruvoyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthetase (EPSPS)

Question 4

A 'knock-out' mouse is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A mouse in which a gene function has been eliminated by replacing most of the coding sequence with a selectable marker.

Question 5

Which of the following is the correct sequence of steps for producing recombinant insulin in bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Insert human insulin gene into plasmid → Insert plasmid into bacterium → Bacteria produce insulin → Harvest insulin

Question 6

What is the main advantage of using a gene from Agrobacterium that encodes a glyphosate-resistant EPSPS enzyme in crop plants?

Accepted Answer

It enables the plants to survive applications of glyphosate herbicide, which kills weeds.

Question 7

Which of the following best describes a 'knock-in' genetic modification?

Accepted Answer

A correct or new gene is inserted to create a gain of function mutation.

Question 8

A chimeric mouse is produced by which of the following processes?

Accepted Answer

Injecting genetically modified embryonic stem cells into a blastocyst and implanting it into a foster mother.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about heterozygotes is correct?

Accepted Answer

They have two different alleles at a given locus.

Question 10

In the context of genetic engineering, what is the primary function of a plasmid?

Accepted Answer

To act as a vector for introducing foreign DNA into bacteria.

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why agricultural workers may be at higher risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma when working with glyphosate?

Accepted Answer

Direct exposure to glyphosate during application increases risk, even though food residues are low.

Question 12

Which of the following equations best represents the inhibition of EPSPS by glyphosate in the shikimate pathway?

Accepted Answer

$$\mathrm{S3P} + \mathrm{PEP} \xrightarrow{	ext{EPSPS + Glyphosate}} 	ext{No reaction}$$

Question 13

Which of the following is a real-world application of gene knock-down technology?

Accepted Answer

Reducing the expression of a disease-causing gene using small interfering RNAs.

Question 14

A researcher wants to create a mouse model with a specific human gene inserted into its genome. Which technique would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Gene knock-in

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the difference between a heterozygote and a chimera?

Accepted Answer

A heterozygote has two different alleles at a locus, while a chimera contains cells from two different zygotes.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a step in the process of creating a genetically modified plant that is resistant to glyphosate?

Accepted Answer

Crossing the modified plant with a wild-type plant to remove the resistance gene.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about recombinant DNA is correct?

Accepted Answer

It is DNA formed artificially by combining constituents from different organisms.

Question 18

A scientist uses CRISPR to introduce a mutation that reduces the expression of a gene in a mouse. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Gene knock-down

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why only plants with the inserted EPSPS gene survive after glyphosate application?

Accepted Answer

The inserted gene encodes a version of EPSPS that is not inhibited by glyphosate, allowing the plant to survive.

Genetic Engineering: Concepts, Methods, and Applications

Study Guide - Practice Questions