8.7.2 Drugs produced by genetically modified organisms Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. Which organism is commonly genetically modified to produce human insulin for diabetes treatment?

   • Escherichia coli bacteria, which are modified with the human insulin gene and grown in fermenters
   • Sequoia tree, a very tall conifer that grows in California and is used mainly for its timber
   • Blue whale, a large marine mammal that is studied for its unusual feeding behaviour in the ocean
   • Giant panda, a bear species that feeds mostly on bamboo and is rarely kept in captive breeding programmes

2. What is the main advantage of using bacteria to make human proteins for medicine?

   • They never need nutrients, so the cost of culture is very low compared with other methods
   • They always produce identical copies of the human body, which makes them useful for organ transplants
   • They grow quickly and can be cultured in large quantities in fermenters
   • They produce human DNA directly, which is then collected and purified for use in patients

3. Which technique is used to insert a human gene into bacteria to make a medicine?

   • Light microscopy, which allows cells to be observed in detail but cannot be used to insert any gene
   • Gel electrophoresis, which separates DNA fragments by size but does not insert any gene into a cell
   • Chromatography, which separates the components of a mixture but does not change the genes of an organism
   • Recombinant DNA technology, which joins a gene from one organism to the DNA of another

4. Which vector is often used to carry a human gene into bacterial cells?

   • A plasmid, a small circular piece of DNA that can carry a gene into bacteria and be copied within them
   • A ribosome, a structure in the cytoplasm that makes proteins from the sequence of messenger RNA
   • A red blood cell, which carries oxygen and is not used in genetic engineering of bacteria
   • A lysosome, an organelle that contains digestive enzymes and breaks down waste material in the cell

5. Which example shows a GM animal producing a drug in its milk?

   • Goats modified to produce a human protein such as antithrombin in their milk, which is collected for medicine
   • Chickens that lay eggs with yolk, which is a standard breeding trait and does not involve any modified gene
   • Sheep that are shorn of wool, which is a traditional farming practice and does not use genetic engineering
   • Cows that produce only skim milk, which is the result of selective breeding rather than genetic modification

6. Which example shows a GM plant being used to produce a drug or vaccine?

   • Tobacco plants modified to produce a human protein or vaccine component
   • Trees that produce timber only, which are grown for wood and are not modified to make any drug
   • Wheat that is made only for cereals, which is grown in fields and processed into flour for bread
   • Cactus plants that store water only, which are native to deserts and do not produce any pharmaceutical protein

7. Why might it be advantageous to use plants to produce drugs rather than animals?

   • Plants do not need light or water, so they can be grown in any environment without any care
   • Plants never contain DNA, which means they cannot be modified in any laboratory process
   • Plants produce only human proteins naturally, so no genetic modification is needed at all
   • Plants are cheaper to grow and avoid some ethical concerns about using animals

8. Which property of a fermenter makes it suitable for producing drugs from GM microorganisms?

   • It provides controlled conditions, such as temperature, pH and nutrients, for large-scale culture
   • It stops microorganisms from dividing, which keeps the protein concentration constant during production
   • It removes all oxygen from the medium at all times, which is required by every GM microorganism
   • It converts the drug into DNA, which allows the product to be stored more easily for later use

9. Why is the human insulin gene inserted into bacteria rather than producing insulin from pig insulin for all patients?

   • Human insulin is cheaper to extract from pigs, so production from bacteria is only a fallback option
   • Bacteria produce insulin without any gene, which is why they are used instead of animals
   • Human insulin is identical to the human protein, reducing immune reactions compared with animal insulin
   • Pig insulin cannot lower blood glucose at all, so it is useless for the treatment of diabetes

10. A GM bacterium produces a protein at 2 grams per litre of culture. How much protein is produced by a 500 litre fermenter batch?

    • 2500 grams, found by multiplying the yield of 2 grams per litre by 500 and adding a further 500 grams
    • 250 grams, found by dividing the batch size of 500 litres by the yield of 2 grams per litre
    • 1 gram, found by dividing the yield of 2 grams per litre by the batch size of 500 litres
    • 1000 grams, found by multiplying the yield of 2 grams per litre by the batch size of 500 litres

11. Which statement describes a risk in using GM microorganisms for drug production?

    • Possibility of contamination or gene transfer, which must be controlled by containment and sterile conditions
    • Drugs made by bacteria always contain harmful DNA, so every batch must be destroyed after production
    • Bacteria cannot be controlled at all, so the process is impossible to manage in any industrial setting
    • Bacteria are a source of insulin only, which means the process cannot be used for any other drug

12. Which of these explains why GM organisms can produce human proteins?

    • The host organism translates only human mRNA without any gene, which is supplied from the human body
    • The human gene is transcribed and translated by the host's own cellular machinery
    • The host organism produces human ribosomes, which are then used to make the human protein in the cell
    • The host organism loses its own DNA, so that only the human genes are used in protein synthesis

13. A GM organism produces a human protein that must be purified before use as a drug. Which process is most appropriate for this?

    • Adding more DNA to the solution, which binds the protein and separates it from the other molecules
    • Chromatography or filtration to separate the protein from other cell components
    • Heating the protein to 1000 degrees C, which removes all impurities from the sample
    • Exposing the protein to a magnetic field only, which is the standard method of purification for proteins

14. What is the main ethical concern about using transgenic animals to make human drugs?

    • Animals always die immediately after being modified, which makes them unsuitable for any drug production
    • Animals cannot produce any protein, so the use of animals for drug production is scientifically impossible
    • Animals cannot be legally kept, which means there is no ethical question to consider in the use of transgenic animals
    • Animal welfare and whether the animals suffer as a result of genetic modification

15. Which statement describes how a GM microorganism produces a drug?

    • The microorganism uses the drug to make its own DNA, which then copies the drug to other cells
    • The microorganism absorbs the drug from the air, which then stays in its cells and is released later
    • The microorganism stores the drug as a salt, which is then broken down by the cell to release the protein
    • The inserted human gene is transcribed into mRNA and translated into the drug protein

16. A researcher argues that drugs from GM bacteria are always safer than drugs from natural sources. Which evaluation is best?

    • Incorrect, because drugs cannot be safe, so the claim has no meaning for any medicine on the market
    • Correct, because bacteria are always sterile, so the drugs are free from contamination in every case
    • Correct, because GM products can never have side effects, since the bacteria are controlled
    • Incorrect as a universal claim, because safety depends on purity, testing and the product, and must be assessed in each case

17. A drug produced in GM plants is found to cause an allergic reaction in a few patients. Which response is most appropriate?

    • Investigate the cause, test for impurities and assess risks before deciding on regulation or use
    • Stop all research on plants immediately without evidence, since any allergy shows that plants are dangerous
    • Increase the dose for everyone, which is the standard way to reduce the effect of an allergy
    • Ignore the reaction because the drug is natural, so the reaction must be coincidental

18. Which pair correctly matches a GM organism with the drug it produces?

    • Tobacco plant: vitamin D only, which is the standard product of modified tobacco crops
    • Goat: insulin only, which is the only drug that goats are known to produce in their milk
    • Bacteria (E. coli): human insulin, which is the best-known example of this kind of production
    • Yeast: red blood cells only, which yeast produce when they are genetically modified

19. Which evaluation best supports the use of GM microorganisms for medicines?

    • The process is entirely free of cost and risk, so no further regulation is needed for any product
    • Large quantities can be produced consistently and cheaply, though regulation and purification are still needed
    • The process produces no protein, which is why it is used only for research and not for medicine
    • The process uses no nutrients or energy, which makes it the most sustainable method of drug production

20. Which of the following is an example of a GM microorganism used in medicine?

    • Bacteria producing human growth hormone, which is used to treat growth disorders
    • Wild mushrooms gathered in forests, which are collected for food and are not genetically modified
    • Soil fungi that are not cultured, which are studied in the field and not used in drug production
    • Unmodified brewer's yeast used only for bread, which is grown in bakeries without any genetic change

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