Genetically Engineered Organisms Brochure
Due: November 24th by 5:00pm
Answer the questions below using the following websites (additional research may be
required).
o Environment and Nature News. (n.d.) Toxin-munching plants a step
closer. Retrieved March 15, 2006 from
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_921973.
htm
o United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.) Using superplants to clean
up our environment. Retrieved March 15, 2006 from
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/form0600.htm
1. How does phyto-engineering or phytoremediation harvest heavy metals from
soil?
Phytoremediation harvest heavy metals from soil, by first making a designer
plant, it sucks out heavy metals from contaminated soil only. They put a
chemical in the plants, it’s called phyochelatins which detoxify heavy metals, and
it is transported from roots to leaves.
2. What is meant by phytoextraction? What is an added benefit of this process?
Phytoextraction is the processes were plants remove dangerous elements or
compounds from soil or water.It is the treatment of environmental problems
through the use of plants solve the environmental problem without the need to
excavate the containment.
3. What are some environmental problems caused by heavy metals?
Some environmental problems caused by heavy metals area variety of things.
One thing is that most heavy metals have really low densities, so they are highly
toxic and poisonous. One problem is Cadmium, which can cause bone fractures
kidney damage/failure. Cadmium is substance stored in many household
products, such as products.
4. What human activities have resulted in the collection of heavy metals in soil?
Some human activities that have resulted in the collection of heavy metals in soil
include recycling products that contain heavy metals, making an effort in the
community to warm people about the potential problems that heavy metals can
cause.
5. What are some global impacts of these environmental problems?
Some global impacts of these environmental problems include plants dying off,
which can lower the overall oxygen level over a long period of time. It can also kill
off vegetables and fruits that can help humans out because they kill of our food.
6. What are some of the current high tech solutions to the environmental problems
you stated?
Some of the current high tech solutions to the environmental problems include
Phytoextraction and GMO’s for plants.
7. What are the human impacts associated with phyto-engineering and how do
those human impacts relate to biotechnical engineering?
Some human impacts associated with phyto-engineering are the fact that it costs
a lot of money to perform research on it. And that money is always an issue,
especially when the money invested isn’t a sure thing.
Answer the questions below using the following websites (additional research may be
required).

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110405-nsf-oilsomasundaran-video/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/study-oil-eatingmicrobes-plentiful-in-gulf-oil-spill.html
1. What is bioremediation and what role do engineers play in the process of
bioremediation?
Bioremediation is any process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to
return the environment altered by contaminants to its original condition.
2. Explain how the following engineers work together during the bioremediation
process: chemical engineers, environmental engineers, genetic engineers, and
civil engineers.
All of these different engineers work together by coming up with a solution such
as Bacteria eating the oil in the gulf, The chemical and genetic engineers will
come up with the bacteria and the civil engineers and the environmental
engineers will come up with a way to release the bacteria into the waters
3. What impact does bioremediation play on the environment and society as a
whole?
Oil-eating bacteria proliferated below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico this
summer, helping to break down and clean up an underwater oil plume that
stretched miles from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead, according to a study
released Tuesday by the journal Science.
Answer the questions below using the following websites (additional research may be
required).

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml
1. What is genetically modified/engineered food?
GMOs are created for human and animal consumption. They are food that has been
genetically changed through genetic engineering.
2. What are some potential benefits to these types of foods?
The benefits of GMOs include cold tolerance, pest resistance, herbicide tolerance,
disease resistance, drought tolerance. And this will also allow third world countries,
who are currently starving, to receive more food, more quickly.
3. What are some potential concerns to these types of foods?
A major concern of GMOs include human health risks. There are new allergens that
can be in GMOs, making many children have allergic reactions.
An economic concern is getting a patent for the GMOs.
4. What are some medical ideas researchers have for these foods?
Researchers are currently working on the production of pharmaceutical drugs and
experimental medicine, such as gene therapy.
Using the information you have collected design a brochure to display the information to
any common individual. This brochure is best created using the brochure template in
Microsoft Publisher. Your brochure should include the following:
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_____ Information on phytoremediation (15 pts)
_____ Information on bioremediation (15 pts)
_____ Information on GMOs (15 pts)
_____ Information on a GMO you will create (15 pts)
o Get creative here and include design, potential uses, and benefits of
your product
_____ Pictures that help to explain your information(10 pts)
_____ Creativity and aesthetics (10 pts)
_____ All questions from above answered and posted on weebly (20 pts)
*** This is due by 5:00pm on November 24th (that
is the Sunday before we return to school).***