Biotech Final Exam
Agricultural biotechnology - Answer -Any tool used to alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to
make or modify products that improve plants/animals for human benefit
Selective breeding - Answer -the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired
traits
Hybridization - Answer -breeding technique that involves crossing dissimilar individuals to bring together
the best traits of both organisms
Plant biotechnology - Answer -This aims at creating plants with new, useful genes; usually for nutritional
or environmental benefit. Plants cells can be cloned to produce whole new adult plants. Transfection
can be carried out by use of vectors.
Benefits of plant biotech - Answer -Fight pests and disease
Improved nutritional quality (tastier too)
Tolerance to severe environments
Plant propagation - Answer -using a part of a plant to increase the number of that plant
Example of plant propagation - Answer -Mildew-resistant pea may be crossed with a
high-yielding but susceptible pea
,In vitro - Answer -In a test tube, glass, or artificial environment
Protoplast fusion - Answer -A technique of genetic engineering in which genetic material is combined by
removing the cell walls (with cellulase) of two different types of cells and allowing the resulting
protoplasts to fuse (form hybrid)
Mutagenesis - Answer -The creation of a mutation
Plant Tissue Culture - Answer -(Asexual propagation - clone) the growth and development of plant
seeds, organs, explants, tissues, cells or protoplasts on a nutrient media.
A small piece of leaf/stem/cell is isolated and placed on a tissue culture with agar (desolved sugar,
nutrients, and plant growth regulators).
Plant cloning - Answer -process of root cells cultured in nutrient medium, cell division within culture,
plantlet, then adult plant.
Callus cells - Answer -mass of undifferentiated plant tissue (roots or shoots)
Agrobacterium tumefaciens - Answer -bacterium that transfers the Ti plasmid to plants
Ti plasmid - Answer -A plasmid of a tumor-inducing bacterium that integrates a segment of its DNA into
the host chromosome of a plant; frequently used as a carrier for genetic engineering in plants.
leaf fragment technique - Answer --small disks are cut from a leaf, and are cultured in a medium
containing GM agrobacter
- disks are treated with hormones to stimulate shoot and root development
monocotyledonous plants - Answer -Plants that grow from a single seed embryo (corn, wheat)
Dicotyledonous plants - Answer -Plants that grow from two seed halves (tomatoes, apples)
, Gene guns - Answer -foreign DNA "shot" through thick cellulose walls of plants using microparticles of
gold coated with DNA (usually used for resistant crops) (hit or miss)
marker gene - Answer -Enables transformed bacteria with recombinant DNA to be identified; confers
observable trait
chloroplast engineering - Answer -DNA in Chloroplast can accept several foreign genes at once. DNA in
chloroplast separate from pollen(no chance of procreating) High percent of DNA remains inactive
Antisense technology - Answer -A type of technology that stops proteins production by binding to mRNA
(blocks translation); also promote mRNA destruction by RNAse
Example of antisense technology - Answer -Flavr Savr Tomato - normal mRNA inactivated --> no pectin
or PG produced --> slower rotting
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) - Answer -microbe eats mosquito larvae; used in municipal control programs
and by home gardeners; environmental friendly (corn, cotton have this Bt toxin)
Genetic pesticides - Answer -Bacillus thuringiensis genes can be inserted into plant's DNA. Intrinsic
genetic defense against insects.
Electroporation - Answer -A technique to introduce recombinant DNA into cells by applying a brief
electrical pulse to a solution containing cells. The electricity creates temporary holes in the cells' plasma
membranes, through which DNA can enter.
Herbicide resistance - Answer -involves inserting a gene that makes plants immune to herbicide (round
up ready) aids in controlling weeds
Avidin - Answer -protein in raw eggs that binds biotin (vitamin that helps insects grow), preventing its
absorption.
Products of plant biotech - Answer -Petroleum for fuel alternatives to rubber
Agricultural biotechnology - Answer -Any tool used to alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to
make or modify products that improve plants/animals for human benefit
Selective breeding - Answer -the human practice of breeding animals or plants that have certain desired
traits
Hybridization - Answer -breeding technique that involves crossing dissimilar individuals to bring together
the best traits of both organisms
Plant biotechnology - Answer -This aims at creating plants with new, useful genes; usually for nutritional
or environmental benefit. Plants cells can be cloned to produce whole new adult plants. Transfection
can be carried out by use of vectors.
Benefits of plant biotech - Answer -Fight pests and disease
Improved nutritional quality (tastier too)
Tolerance to severe environments
Plant propagation - Answer -using a part of a plant to increase the number of that plant
Example of plant propagation - Answer -Mildew-resistant pea may be crossed with a
high-yielding but susceptible pea
,In vitro - Answer -In a test tube, glass, or artificial environment
Protoplast fusion - Answer -A technique of genetic engineering in which genetic material is combined by
removing the cell walls (with cellulase) of two different types of cells and allowing the resulting
protoplasts to fuse (form hybrid)
Mutagenesis - Answer -The creation of a mutation
Plant Tissue Culture - Answer -(Asexual propagation - clone) the growth and development of plant
seeds, organs, explants, tissues, cells or protoplasts on a nutrient media.
A small piece of leaf/stem/cell is isolated and placed on a tissue culture with agar (desolved sugar,
nutrients, and plant growth regulators).
Plant cloning - Answer -process of root cells cultured in nutrient medium, cell division within culture,
plantlet, then adult plant.
Callus cells - Answer -mass of undifferentiated plant tissue (roots or shoots)
Agrobacterium tumefaciens - Answer -bacterium that transfers the Ti plasmid to plants
Ti plasmid - Answer -A plasmid of a tumor-inducing bacterium that integrates a segment of its DNA into
the host chromosome of a plant; frequently used as a carrier for genetic engineering in plants.
leaf fragment technique - Answer --small disks are cut from a leaf, and are cultured in a medium
containing GM agrobacter
- disks are treated with hormones to stimulate shoot and root development
monocotyledonous plants - Answer -Plants that grow from a single seed embryo (corn, wheat)
Dicotyledonous plants - Answer -Plants that grow from two seed halves (tomatoes, apples)
, Gene guns - Answer -foreign DNA "shot" through thick cellulose walls of plants using microparticles of
gold coated with DNA (usually used for resistant crops) (hit or miss)
marker gene - Answer -Enables transformed bacteria with recombinant DNA to be identified; confers
observable trait
chloroplast engineering - Answer -DNA in Chloroplast can accept several foreign genes at once. DNA in
chloroplast separate from pollen(no chance of procreating) High percent of DNA remains inactive
Antisense technology - Answer -A type of technology that stops proteins production by binding to mRNA
(blocks translation); also promote mRNA destruction by RNAse
Example of antisense technology - Answer -Flavr Savr Tomato - normal mRNA inactivated --> no pectin
or PG produced --> slower rotting
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) - Answer -microbe eats mosquito larvae; used in municipal control programs
and by home gardeners; environmental friendly (corn, cotton have this Bt toxin)
Genetic pesticides - Answer -Bacillus thuringiensis genes can be inserted into plant's DNA. Intrinsic
genetic defense against insects.
Electroporation - Answer -A technique to introduce recombinant DNA into cells by applying a brief
electrical pulse to a solution containing cells. The electricity creates temporary holes in the cells' plasma
membranes, through which DNA can enter.
Herbicide resistance - Answer -involves inserting a gene that makes plants immune to herbicide (round
up ready) aids in controlling weeds
Avidin - Answer -protein in raw eggs that binds biotin (vitamin that helps insects grow), preventing its
absorption.
Products of plant biotech - Answer -Petroleum for fuel alternatives to rubber
