Presentation: Introduction to Biotechnology
Name:__________________________
Date:___________________________
Class Period:__________________
Although biotechnology has been in use for over 6,000 years, the actual field of
biotechnology is relatively new. _____________________________________ is the transfer of
_______________________ from one organism to another to modify the genetic makeup
of that organism.
_____________________________ first discovered the theory of trait transfer in which
hereditary traits are passed on from parent to offspring. This occurs everyday in
nature. With the modern processes of biotechnology, scientists can speed up this
process, and they can choose what traits an organism will receive. In
___________________________, biotechnology is now being used to increase crop yields, to
produce _________________ and _______________resistant plants, and to produce foods
with more vitamins and minerals. It is also used to increase milk production in cows
and to make _______________________.
What are some reasons we would want to put DNA from one organism into another?
Scientists can use biotechnology to make crops that are _________________________ to
disease, have extra ______________________________, or that can resist __________________ or
very ____________________ temperatures.
One example of this is ______________________________ in Hawaii. The natural papayas
were being killed off by a _____________________. Scientists put a gene from a
_____________________________ _____________________________ into a papaya plant. This virus
made the genetically modified papayas _______________________ to the virus that was
killing them, saving the papayas.
_______________________________ type 1 is a genetic disease. People who have it produce
antibodies that destroy their ______________________________-making cells. Insulin is
very important - it regulates blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too
high or too low, people can get very sick and even die.
Before biotechnology, insulin for diabetics was harvested from the organs of
____________________ and _______________________.
Now, insulin is produced through ____________________________________. Scientists
inserted the human ______________________ for insulin into________________________ and
yeast. The bacteria or yeast then ______________________________ the gene and produce
insulin in large quantities
Producing insulin this way is less expensive, cleaner, and vegetarian-friendly. It also
avoids the problems that occur with using animal insulin.
Bozeman Molecular Biology Video: Techniques that make Biotechnology
Possible
1. Polymerases are enzymes. We have learned about two different ones. In the
video, Mr. Anderson mentions taq polymerase. What do polymerases do?
2. What does it mean to manipulate something?
3. Why are restriction enzymes like scissors?
4. What organisms do restriction enzymes come from?
5. Gel electrophoresis separates fragments of DNA by what physical characteristic?
6. What does PCR (polymerase chain reaction) do?
7. Why would we even want to sequence DNA? How could this be useful?