BSC 108 CORE REVIEW ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS
SET A+
✔✔What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? - ✔✔organism that has acquired
one or more genes artificially
✔✔What is a transgenic organism? - ✔✔a GMO that has received genes from an
organism from another species
✔✔What is a restriction enzyme? - ✔✔bacterial enzyme that cuts foreign DNA at one
very specific nucleotide sequence
✔✔What is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)? - ✔✔technique used to obtain many
copies of a DNA molecule
✔✔What is a stem cell? - ✔✔a cell that generates replacements for nondividing
differentiated cells
✔✔What is an embryonic stem cell? - ✔✔cells in early animal/human embryo that
differentiate during development to create all of the specialized cells in the body
✔✔What is gene therapy? - ✔✔procedure intended to treat disease by altering an
afflicted person's genes
✔✔What is reproductive cloning? - ✔✔using a body cell to make one or more
genetically identical individuals
✔✔What is therapeutic cloning? - ✔✔reproductive cloning of human cells by nuclear
transplantation
✔✔How could a scientist genetically engineer an organism? - ✔✔1. Isolate a bacterial
plasmid and DNA of interest from another organism
2. Two are joined together, resulting in recombinant plasmids
, 3. Recombinant plasmids are mixed with bacteria, which "take up" the recombinant
plasmids
4. Each bacterium (carrying the recombinant plasmid) reproduces via cell division to
form a clone
a. The foreign gene carried by recombinant plasmid is also copied
5. Transgenic bacteria with the gene of interest can then be grown in large tanks
6. Final product may be:
a. Copies of the gene itself
b. Product of the cloned gene
✔✔What are some examples of how genetic engineering has affected agriculture and
medicine? - ✔✔herbicide resistant crops, nutritional value of crops, greater yield of
crops by making them resistant to natural destroyers, vaccines, gene therapy
✔✔What is DNA fingerprinting? - ✔✔technique that analyzes an individual's unique
collection of genetic markers to determine whether two samples of genetic material
came from the same individual
✔✔What are some of the common uses of DNA fingerprinting? - ✔✔to solve crimes
using forensics, paternity/maternity testing, family genetics, ancient DNA/archaeology
✔✔What did Darwin's observations of the geographic distribution of species like the
Galapagos finches lead to? - ✔✔ideas about adaptation to the environment and origin
of new species
✔✔What ideas was Darwin influenced by? - ✔✔gradualism by Hutton and Lyell
✔✔What is adaptation? - ✔✔a characteristic that helps and individual survive and
reproduce
✔✔What is Darwin's theory of natural selection? - ✔✔Organisms have variations,
struggle to exist, and differ in fitness. Organisms that are more fit will successfully
reproduce and pass on desirable variations and in this way, they will become adapted to
their environments
✔✔What is Darwinian fitness? - ✔✔contribution to the next generation's gene pool,
relative to the average for the population
✔✔What is natural selection? - ✔✔natural differential success in reproduction among
individuals that vary in heritable traits (coloration or size)
✔✔What is artificial selection? - ✔✔purposeful breeding of domesticated plants and
animals by humans (dog breeding)
SET A+
✔✔What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? - ✔✔organism that has acquired
one or more genes artificially
✔✔What is a transgenic organism? - ✔✔a GMO that has received genes from an
organism from another species
✔✔What is a restriction enzyme? - ✔✔bacterial enzyme that cuts foreign DNA at one
very specific nucleotide sequence
✔✔What is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)? - ✔✔technique used to obtain many
copies of a DNA molecule
✔✔What is a stem cell? - ✔✔a cell that generates replacements for nondividing
differentiated cells
✔✔What is an embryonic stem cell? - ✔✔cells in early animal/human embryo that
differentiate during development to create all of the specialized cells in the body
✔✔What is gene therapy? - ✔✔procedure intended to treat disease by altering an
afflicted person's genes
✔✔What is reproductive cloning? - ✔✔using a body cell to make one or more
genetically identical individuals
✔✔What is therapeutic cloning? - ✔✔reproductive cloning of human cells by nuclear
transplantation
✔✔How could a scientist genetically engineer an organism? - ✔✔1. Isolate a bacterial
plasmid and DNA of interest from another organism
2. Two are joined together, resulting in recombinant plasmids
, 3. Recombinant plasmids are mixed with bacteria, which "take up" the recombinant
plasmids
4. Each bacterium (carrying the recombinant plasmid) reproduces via cell division to
form a clone
a. The foreign gene carried by recombinant plasmid is also copied
5. Transgenic bacteria with the gene of interest can then be grown in large tanks
6. Final product may be:
a. Copies of the gene itself
b. Product of the cloned gene
✔✔What are some examples of how genetic engineering has affected agriculture and
medicine? - ✔✔herbicide resistant crops, nutritional value of crops, greater yield of
crops by making them resistant to natural destroyers, vaccines, gene therapy
✔✔What is DNA fingerprinting? - ✔✔technique that analyzes an individual's unique
collection of genetic markers to determine whether two samples of genetic material
came from the same individual
✔✔What are some of the common uses of DNA fingerprinting? - ✔✔to solve crimes
using forensics, paternity/maternity testing, family genetics, ancient DNA/archaeology
✔✔What did Darwin's observations of the geographic distribution of species like the
Galapagos finches lead to? - ✔✔ideas about adaptation to the environment and origin
of new species
✔✔What ideas was Darwin influenced by? - ✔✔gradualism by Hutton and Lyell
✔✔What is adaptation? - ✔✔a characteristic that helps and individual survive and
reproduce
✔✔What is Darwin's theory of natural selection? - ✔✔Organisms have variations,
struggle to exist, and differ in fitness. Organisms that are more fit will successfully
reproduce and pass on desirable variations and in this way, they will become adapted to
their environments
✔✔What is Darwinian fitness? - ✔✔contribution to the next generation's gene pool,
relative to the average for the population
✔✔What is natural selection? - ✔✔natural differential success in reproduction among
individuals that vary in heritable traits (coloration or size)
✔✔What is artificial selection? - ✔✔purposeful breeding of domesticated plants and
animals by humans (dog breeding)
