Deck 20: DNA Technology and Genetic Engineering

Question 1

Plants that have foreign DNA inserted into their genome for the purpose of producing products beneficial to humans are referred to as

A) recombinants
B) mutated
C) transgenic
D) inferior
E) genetically spliced

Answer 1

C

Question 2

After a strand of DNA has been cut with restriction enzymes, the pieces are attached again by the action of

A) DNA ligases
B) stop codons or sequences
C) DNA polymerase
D) plasmids
E) primers

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What determines the specific segment of DNA that is amplified by PCR?

A) the plasmid used
B) the type of DNA polymerase
C) the use of DNA ligase
D) the source of nucleotides
E) the primers used

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Bacterial ________ DNA can be easily removed from the bacterium, modified by adding a gene of interest, and then reinserted into the bacterium to be replicated.

A) genomic
B) polymerase
C) plasmid
D) chromosomal
E) nuclear

Question 5

During DNA replication, a(n) ________ added to a DNA template serves as the beginning site of nucleotide addition.

A) initiation codon
B) 5' OH end of sugar group
C) 3' OH end of sugar group
D) primer
E) poly A tail

Question 6

A scientist is working in a lab sequencing DNA. After reading the results from a column of gel scanned in a fluoroscope, she determines that the sequence of bases in the newly synthesized DNA is AATTCCCGG. Which one of the following represents the sequence of bases on the complementary strand?

A) GGCCAAATT
B) UUTTCCCGG
C) AATTCCCGG
D) UUAAGGGCC
E) TTAAGGGCC

Question 7

Organisms that can contain genes introduced from other species are referred to as

A) bacteria
B) plasmids
C) manipulated
D) genomic
E) transgenic

Question 8

When DNA fragments from different sources are mixed together, they begin combining with each other due to

A) complementary base pairing
B) the action of restriction enzymes
C) a change in pH
D) electrical currents present in the mixture
E) a change in temperature

Question 9

A small amount of DNA was located at a crime scene. Which one of the following techniques is most likely to be used to amplify the DNA so it can be identified more accurately?

A) genetic engineering
B) use of DNA ligase to recombine the pieces of DNA
C) gene therapy
D) DNA sequencing
E) polymerase chain reaction

Question 10

Which one of the following enzymes catalyzes the attachment of nucleotides to a growing complementary strand?

A) restriction enzyme
B) DNA polymerase
C) plasmid
D) DNA ligases
E) transgenic

Question 11

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is useful for amplifying a small piece of DNA but is not a good technique for cloning genes because

A) DNA ligase cannot be used in PCRs
B) PCRs do not generate palindromic sequences
C) copies of DNA produced by PCRs lack the regulatory genes and proteins required to activate genes
D) PCRs only generate primary transcripts that require excision of introns
E) ribosomes are required to produce active genes

Question 12

A DNA sequence that can be read the same backward and forward is called a(n)

A) repetitive code
B) palindrome
C) plasmid sequence
D) DNA fingerprint
E) exon

Question 13

The following are steps involved in producing recombinant DNA using human DNA and a plasmid. Which one of the following answers best reflects the proper order of these steps? 1. select bacteria that contain human DNA
2) isolate and purify DNA to be recombined
3) add DNA ligase to join human DNA with plasmid
4) cut human DNA and plasmid with restriction enzyme
5) introduce new plasmid to bacteria

A) 4, 1, 5, 3, 2
B) 2, 4, 3, 5, 1
C) 2, 5, 1, 3, 4
D) 4, 3, 2, 1, 5
E) 5, 1, 2, 4, 3

Question 14

Manipulation of the genetic makeup of cells or whole organisms is known as

A) genetic analysis
B) DNA splicing
C) molecular biology
D) genetic engineering
E) genomic splicing

Question 15

The rapid development of knowledge regarding how to manipulate and analyze DNA, including techniques for modifying its structure, has led to the new field in biology known as

A) graphic display
B) DNA splicing
C) recombinant DNA technology
D) genetics
E) electrophoresis

Question 16

Each of the following is used in the process of DNA sequencing EXCEPT which one?

A) DNA polymerase
B) primers
C) gel electrophoresis
D) RNA polymerase
E) chain-terminating fluorescent nucleotides

Question 17

During polymerase chain reaction, DNA amplification comes to an end

A) when the available nucleotides become limited or the temperature becomes too low
B) once the DNA template is used up
C) once the RNA template is used up
D) as DNA polymerase is produced
E) when the stop codon is added to the template

Question 18

During PCR, heating of DNA is required to

A) promote attachment of nucleotides to the template
B) allow DNA ligases to bind fragments together
C) unwind double-stranded DNA
D) attach the primer to the template DNA
E) attach a stop codon

Question 19

One technique not used to yield a transgenic animal is to

A) amplify DNA from a donor animal and another organism of interest using PCR
B) remove all of the DNA from an animal fetus, and insert new DNA of interest through the use of synthetic DNA "carriers"
C) microinject the DNA of interest into an animal's egg
D) introduce proteins from a foreign organism into the blood of a pregnant animal, so that the protein sequences will be used to produce a new DNA template
E) inject the DNA of interest into an animal's bone marrow

Question 20

Prior to genetic engineering, insulin for humans with insulin-dependent diabetes was extracted from pigs and cattle. Presently insulin is produced by transgenic

A) humans
B) chickens
C) viruses
D) bacteria
E) monkeys

Question 21

Plasmids are useful to scientists involved in recombinant DNA technology because foreign genes can be inserted into the plasmids and then the plasmids can be inserted back into bacteria.

Question 22

Gel electrophoresis is a technique used to separate a mixture of DNA fragments. During this process, large DNA fragments move longer distances than small DNA fragments when an electric current is applied.

Question 23

Gene therapy is currently under investigation as a possible way to cure cystic fibrosis. How is the viral vector carrying the normal gene delivered to the affected cells?

A) injection
B) bacterial plasmid
C) nasal spray
D) ingestion
E) application to skin

Question 24

The goal of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is to determine the sequence of nucleotides in a stretch of DNA.

Question 25

During PCR, the enzyme DNA ligase is added to the mixture to promote the addition of nucleotides to the growing DNA chain.

Question 26

The idea of manipulating DNA through cutting and splicing, essential to the science of recombinant DNA technology, is not necessarily a new process since nature has been recombining DNA for billions of years.

Question 27

Insertion of a gene into another organism's DNA so that it can be transferred to another organism like a bacterium is called

A) vector transfer
B) PCR
C) DNA amplification
D) gene therapy
E) DNA translocation

Question 28

Restriction enzymes are used in genetic engineering to cut DNA between specific base pairs in a DNA strand, resulting in DNA segments that are then used for further study and analysis.

Question 29

Pharmaceutical companies prefer to genetically engineer large animals with human genes because it may be possible to obtain large amounts of the resulting protein from the animals'

A) milk
B) fur
C) blood
D) meat
E) bones

Question 30

Which one of the following is an example of "gene pharming"?

A) the production of human insulin by E. coli
B) the production of beta carotene in golden rice
C) the production of goat milk that contains human antithrombin III protein
D) the production of HBV vaccines in yeast

Question 31

Plasmid DNA from humans has been successfully inserted and expressed in bacteria.

Question 32

The first successful treatment of a human genetic disorder through gene therapy was with a disorder known as

A) severe combined immunodeficiency disease
B) diabetes mellitus
C) human dwarfism
D) hemophilia
E) acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Question 33

Which one of the following genetically engineered vaccines is presently on the market?

A) vaccine for HIV
B) vaccine for malaria
C) vaccine for hepatitis B
D) vaccine for influenza
E) vaccine for human papillomavirus

Question 34

Which one of the following explanations does not describe why generating transgenic animals is more difficult than plants?

A) The intracellular environment of an animal can be much different than bacteria and even plants.
B) Animal cells do not readily take up plasmid DNA like plant cells.
C) The techniques for cloning animals from a single cell are more challenging than for plants.
D) Genetic material must be inserted into a fertilized egg, then implanted into a living animal; plants can be grown in culture media, and thus, there is no need for implantation.
E) Genetic material is introduced to animal cells in culture media and the animal is allowed to mature.

Question 35

Which one of the following is a problem associated with traditional vaccines as opposed to vaccines produced by transgenic organisms?

A) Traditional vaccines are always in short supply.
B) Traditional vaccines may result in disease symptoms because they contain killed or weakened organisms.
C) Traditional vaccines can only be given after infection; they cannot prevent infection.
D) Traditional vaccines must be given in larger quantity.
E) Traditional vaccines are more expensive.

Question 36

One of the main problems associated with treating human diseases through gene therapy is

A) finding human cells that could potentially be genetically engineered
B) the inability to clone human cells
C) finding a delivery system that would target specific cell types
D) finding the correct form of the gene to be delivered
E) determining a disorder that could be cured through gene therapy

Question 37

Through genetic engineering, it is possible for scientists to identify the sequence of bases in DNA, determine the location of certain genes in DNA, and create more DNA from DNA samples.

Question 38

Which one of the following human proteins, produced by transgenic bacteria, is used to prevent or break down blood clots?

A) insulin
B) tissue plasminogen activator
C) erythropoietin
D) growth hormone
E) factor VIII

Question 39

The first successful treatment of a genetic disorder by gene therapy was the curing of a 4-year-old girl who had severe combined immunodeficiency disease. Because the engineered cells do not live forever, this child must supplement her treatment with regular doses of

A) adenosine deaminase
B) insulin
C) hemoglobin
D) bone marrow extract
E) B lymphocytes

Question 40

Small pieces of DNA can be amplified by a process known as polymerase chain reaction.

Question 41

The technique used to make millions of identical copies of DNA from a small sample in a test tube is ________.

Question 42

Producing transgenic animals is much easier than generating transgenic plants.

Question 43

To synthesize DNA in a laboratory, the enzyme ________ must be used to facilitate the addition of nucleotides on the new strand.

Question 44

Gene therapy is a technique in which DNA from one species is inserted into another to produce useful gene products.

Question 45

The science that involves the planned modification, insertion, or deletion of genes from the genetic makeup of an organism is called ________.

Question 46

Transgenic plants can presently be used for the production of human proteins, including human serum albumin.

Question 47

Genetically engineered plants that contain high levels of beta-carotene are especially important additions to the diet because beta-carotene is converted to ________ in the human body.

Question 48

Once a genetic disorder in an adult is treated successfully through gene therapy, it is highly unlikely that the person's children will inherit the gene(s) for the disease.

Question 49

According to the text, the "workhorses" of the genetic engineering industry are ________.

Question 50

Transgenic bacteria are presently used to produce ________ that can be administered to humans or other animals to prepare the immune system for a possible infection by a disease-causing organism.

Question 51

Some genetically engineered tomato plants produce tomatoes that last longer on the grocery shelf; some genetically engineered cotton plants are resistant to insects.

Question 52

Short single-stranded pieces of DNA called ________ attach to a DNA template to serve as the beginning site of DNA replication.

Question 53

Understanding why normal cells commit suicide (apoptosis) may be the key to treating some forms of cancer.

Question 54

A(n) ________ is a sequence that reads the same from left to right on one strand of DNA as it does from right to left on the other strand.

Question 55

Organisms that have been genetically engineered to carry one or more foreign genes are known as ________ organisms.

Question 56

In recombinant DNA technology, DNA is cut at specific nucleotide sequences by ________ enzymes.

Question 57

Small, circular DNA molecules that are located outside the main chromosome of bacteria and are capable of self-replication are ________.

Question 58

Vaccines produced by genetically engineered bacteria contain the antigen(s) of the disease-causing organism, not the organism itself.

Question 59

Technique of using plasmid DNA to insert another species DNA into a bacterium or plant is called ________ transfer.

Question 60

The process of producing pharmaceuticals in farm animals is ________.

Question 61

To create cows, sheep, and pigs that grow faster and larger, the gene for ________ has been inserted into their genomes.

Question 62

________ is a useful technique in criminal investigations because humans contain many copies of repeating or junk sequences, the length of which can be unique to an individual.

Question 63

Gene therapy may one day be used to cure cancer. One approach currently under investigation is to add the gene for ________ to cancer cells. This molecule stimulates the immune system to attack the cancer cells.

Question 64

The techniques associated with biotechnology have allowed for fairly widespread manipulation of food available for consumption. The idea of genetically modified foods has many Americans concerned about the safety of these foods. In your opinion, are the concerns well-founded?

Question 65

The insertion of human genes into human cells to treat a disease is known as ________.

Question 66

Programmed cell death in somatic cells is known as ________.

Question 67

Gene therapy is showing some promise as a technique to help treat or prevent some diseases. Researchers have focused their attention on understanding more about the process of programmed cell death or apoptosis. Discuss why the process of apoptosis in injured or aging cells may be useful for understanding or treating cancer.

Question 68

Both plants and animals can be manipulated to generate transgenic organisms, but the process is much easier with plants. Explain why it is more difficult to generate transgenic animals than plants.

Question 69

Gene therapy requires that genes be delivered to cells and incorporated into the cells' DNA; transporters of these genes are known as ________.

Question 70

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that is caused by the lack of a gene that encodes a cell membrane protein which transports ________ ions.