B14 Variation
and evolution
Exam-style questions
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................
0 1 Parts of Africa suffer periodically from food shortages. Maize is one of
the staple crops of these regions. However, maize plants are targeted
by a number of pests, significantly reducing yields. Scientists have now developed a
new variety of maize seed that is resistant to the pests by inserting a gene from a
bacterium using genetic modification.
0 1 . 1 State and explain two advantages of using genetic modification to
produce the new maize seeds over selective breeding.
(4 marks)
0 1 . 2 Discuss some of the arguments for and against the production of
GM maize.
(3 marks)
0 1 . 3 State one other desirable characteristic that plant crops are
genetically modified to display.
(1 mark)
0 2 People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough of the hormone
insulin; instead they have to inject themselves with insulin.
Most insulin used by people with Type 1 diabetes is human insulin produced by
genetically engineered bacteria.
© Oxford University Press 2017 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 1
, B14 Variation
and evolution
Exam-style questions
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................
0 2 . 1 What is the function of insulin in the body?
(1 mark)
0 2 . 2 Figure 1 shows how a bacterial cell can be genetically engineered
to produce human insulin.
Figure 1
Use Figure 1 to help you describe how a bacterial cell can be
genetically engineered to produce human insulin.
(4 marks)
0 2 . 3 Explain why a large amount of human insulin can be obtained by
genetically engineering one bacterium.
© Oxford University Press 2017 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 2
and evolution
Exam-style questions
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................
0 1 Parts of Africa suffer periodically from food shortages. Maize is one of
the staple crops of these regions. However, maize plants are targeted
by a number of pests, significantly reducing yields. Scientists have now developed a
new variety of maize seed that is resistant to the pests by inserting a gene from a
bacterium using genetic modification.
0 1 . 1 State and explain two advantages of using genetic modification to
produce the new maize seeds over selective breeding.
(4 marks)
0 1 . 2 Discuss some of the arguments for and against the production of
GM maize.
(3 marks)
0 1 . 3 State one other desirable characteristic that plant crops are
genetically modified to display.
(1 mark)
0 2 People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough of the hormone
insulin; instead they have to inject themselves with insulin.
Most insulin used by people with Type 1 diabetes is human insulin produced by
genetically engineered bacteria.
© Oxford University Press 2017 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 1
, B14 Variation
and evolution
Exam-style questions
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................
0 2 . 1 What is the function of insulin in the body?
(1 mark)
0 2 . 2 Figure 1 shows how a bacterial cell can be genetically engineered
to produce human insulin.
Figure 1
Use Figure 1 to help you describe how a bacterial cell can be
genetically engineered to produce human insulin.
(4 marks)
0 2 . 3 Explain why a large amount of human insulin can be obtained by
genetically engineering one bacterium.
© Oxford University Press 2017 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 2
