Carbajal, Jacqueline

Biotechnology I Essay Study Guide

Chapter 1

1. The GloFish is a trademarked transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) that expresses a

fluorescent protein through the addition of a natural fluorescence gene to the fish

from sea coral to the fish eggs before they hatch. The fluorescent color or glow is

produced by a fluorescent protein gene, which creates its unique color that it inherits

directly from its parents, maintains throughout life and passes along to its offspring.

Controversies surrounding the development of GloFish involve whether they pose an

environmental hazard being that zebrafish are sensitive to low temperature and have

yet to establish self-sustaining populations within the country. While preliminary,

results supported the expectation that the modification would not increase

invasiveness, and the environmental risk was small. Thus, I support the creation of

new pet organisms such as the GloFish that ideally have helped detect environmental

pollutants, devise new disease-fighting drug therapies and in benefit of the public,

have simply become a revolutionary ornamental fish!

Advantages Disadvantages

• Detect environmental pollutants • Genetic modification

• Understand genetics/molecular bio • Biotechnology policies

• New disease-fighting drug therapies • Small environmental risk

• Commercialization/profitable • Growth rates

• Vertebrate development • Low survival rate

2. A technician who demonstrates good laboratory practices (GLPs) will:

• Know the location and use of all the personal protective equipment, such as

goggles, gloves, and hoods, etc.

• Know the location and proper use of all the emergency equipment, such as

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), chemical showers, safety eyewash, and fire

extinguishers, etc.

• Maintain a clean (and sterile, when appropriate) workspace free from clutter.

• Recognize chemical and biological hazards. Know how to handle and dispose of

each hazard properly.

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• Know who to contact and how to contact emergency services in case of a fire,

chemical, or biological emergency. Know how to contact the Environmental

Health and Safety Officer at the worksite.

3. If the product is to become a pharmaceutical, it must undergo strict testing (clinical

trials), under the guidance of the FDA, before it can be marketed. Three rounds of

clinical trials, over many years, test progressively larger numbers of patients to check

the safety and effectiveness of the drug. On average, it takes about 10 to 15 years for

a company to move a pharmaceutical product through all of these steps, a process

called the “product pipeline”.

4. Genetic engineering can be used to make large amounts of human collagen cells and

multiplying them in containers. In the containers, the cells will then multiply, divide,

and make more human collagen cells. This is done in genetic engineering because

scientists can also change a gene in the cell and see if it will help increase the

multiplication of the cells.

5. For REE (results with evidence and explanation) give the answer to the purpose

question (results) with numerical data, if possible, as evidence. For most experiments,

averaged data are the best numerical answer to a purpose question. Then, explain

whether the data support or refute the hypothesis and why; give specific examples.

For PE (possible errors), identify the sources of experimental design errors that

would lead to fallacious (false or misleading) data, and explain the possible

implications from making such errors. For PA (practical applications), discuss the

meaning or value of the experimental results in the short term and in the long term.

Chapter 2

6. A nucleotide is a molecule composed of a nitrogenous base, a 5-carbon sugar, and a

phosphate group. Purines and pyrimidines are the two building blocks of nucleic

acids. Purines contain two rings whereas pyrimidines have one ring. Purines and

pyrimidines are utilized for the production of DNA and RNA. The most common

purines are adenine and guanine while the most common pyrimidines include

thymine, cytosine, and uracil. The nucleic acid molecule can be identified by what is

in it: deoxyribose sugar for DNA and ribose sugar for RNA.

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7. South San Francisco, California (most prominently The Bay Area) is often dubbed as

“The Birthplace of Biotechnology” due to its essential point in the history of this

field. The first ever biotech company was founded in this area, and its here where the

first FDA-approved biotech-based treatments were created. The Bay Area along hosts

over 700 Bioscience Companies, and provides more than 90,000 jobs in this field.

The largest employer (UCSF) continues to expand biotechnology’s importance and

influence in the United States of America.

8. The four groups of macromolecules found in living things include carbohydrates,

lipids, proteins and nucleic acid. In carbohydrates there are three elements carbon,

hydrogen and oxygen (CHO) as well as the monomer monosaccharide. An example

of a carbohydrate is glucose, which stores sugars. Lipids contain CHO as well as the

R-group and the monomer fatty acid. An example of a lipid would be triglycerides

whose purpose is in fatty acid metabolism and energy production. Moreover, these

are proteins, which consists of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (CHON) along

with the R-group and the monomer amino acid. An example of a protein would be

hormones whose purpose is to regulate cellular functions. Last but not least there are

nucleic acids, which are composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and

phosphorus (CHONP) as well as the monomer nucleotides. An example of a nucleic

acid is DNA whose function is to store genetic information.

9. Based on size, the following molecules should dissolve in water most readily:

glucose, hemoglobin, amylose, and cellulose.

10.

Eukaryotic Similar Prokaryotic

• Larger • Ribosome • Smaller

• Has a nucleus • DNA/RNA • No nucleus

• Specialized organelles • Mitochondria • Few organelles

• Linear DNA • Cytoplasm • Circular DNA

• Multicellular • Unicellular

Animal Similar Plant

• No cell wall • Rest of organelles • Cell wall

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• Centrioles • Eukaryotic • Chloroplast

• Small vacuole • Plasma membrane • Large vacuole

Chapter 3

11.

12.

13.

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14.

15.

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Lab Calculations

16.

17.

18. The absorbance readings are so high due to the fact that the concentrations are too

strong. Thus, the technician could dilute the concentration to half of its strength and

then multiply the results by double in order to use the spectrophotometer to check the

samples.

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19. Ignore the diagrams, under “Diagram of How to Prepare It” just include calculations!

20.

Bioethical Issues

21. The Strategy for Values Clarification can be used to solve a problem such as the use

of embryonic stem cells for basic genetic research. This strategy tells you to identify

and understand the problem. The next step is to list the possible solutions. After, you

would list the pros and cons then the consequences of each. Then, you have to list

them from the best to worst solutions. Once you finish you need to decide if this

situation is that important and if you decide it is then you must be able to defend it.

22. I believe it is ethical t obtain stem cells from embryo’s however, only those which are

respectfully due to die. I strongly believe that the advancements we have had just

make us wiser and more knowledgeable about our bodies and ourselves. If this

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technology can potentially save the lives of many others and more good than bad, I

think it is perfectly ethical to obtain stem cells. Beneficially they can cure some well-

known diseases and disabilities and although there are other ways of obtaining these

cells, I still think embryonic stem cells are perfectly acceptable.

23. Yes, the mother’s doctor should be sued because he never did his job by not checking

for any defects. Also he did not fulfill his duty by failing to tell the mother about the

defects associated with the child that he never bothered checking for any

abnormalities. I believe that the child should have been born and that a healthy person

should not be the judge of one who has been born with a handicap defect.

24. Although it is possible to easily clone mammals some people still believe that human

cloning should and should not be allowed. It is felt that is should be allowed because

then the clone can give organs and provide for other individuals however, some feel it

should not be allowed because they are still living objects that should not be treated

subordinately to humans.

YES NO

• Cure diseases • Seen as playing God

• Advancement in scientific research • Not legal

• Profitable $$$ • Elite race of people

• To make babies • Shorter life span

25. I believe that there should be regulations about how and which animals should be

used for what purposes due to the fact that different perspectives amongst not only

researchers, but also society must be taken into account when making these

regulations. For example, I think that any animal should be used for

educational/teaching purposes as well as medical applications being that it would

enhance our knowledge on these practices while at the same time, opening the door to

new possibilities to be discovered through experiments being run on these animals.

However, other individuals believe that no animal of any kind should be used for any

type of medicinal testing because they feel that animals have morals too and they

should not be sacrificed for the benefit of humans. Hence, I still find it acceptable to

use animals in science and industry yet to a certain extent. For instance, I think it is

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unnecessary to use animals for industrial raw materials applications in view of the

fact that there are other resources that can be used within this industry. On the other

hand, as far as laboratory testing specimens go animals are the most efficient

resources we have when it comes to testing the discovery of new drugs,

environmental hazards, and many other requisitions that expand our scientific

understanding. Therefore, there is always a certain magnitude where applications

should be carried out to and in a case like this I think regulations should be sought to

provide animals with some moral rights!