OCR GCSE Biology B (Twenty First Century)
OCR GCSE Biology B B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used? Exam Questions
Free OCR GCSE Biology B exam questions for B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used?, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers genetic engineering, genetically modified organisms, insulin production, GM crops, genetic testing, embryo screening, genome sequencing and ethical issues.
B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used? exam questions
2 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About OCR GCSE Biology B B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used?
B1.3 completes You and Your Genes by asking how gene technology can be used and whether it should be. You need to describe the main steps of genetic engineering, give examples such as bacteria making human insulin and GM crops, and explain how genetic testing is used for adults, fetuses and embryos. Just as important is weighing benefits, risks and ethical issues, a core idea about science in Twenty First Century Science. Examiners often set extended answers asking you to evaluate a technology using evidence, so practise giving balanced arguments with a reasoned conclusion.
What you need to know
- Genetic engineering Genetic engineering modifies an organism's genome by inserting a gene from another organism so it gains a new characteristic.
- Main steps The desired gene is cut out with restriction enzymes, inserted into a vector such as a bacterial plasmid or virus using ligase, and the vector carries the gene into the host cell. Cells that have taken up the gene are selected, often using antibiotic resistance markers.
- Uses Bacteria engineered with the human insulin gene produce insulin for people with diabetes. GM crops can be made resistant to herbicides, pests or drought, or given higher nutrient content.
- Genetic testing Tests can identify alleles that cause disorders such as cystic fibrosis. Carrier testing helps couples assess risk; embryo screening during IVF allows unaffected embryos to be selected.
- Genome sequencing and medicine Sequencing genomes can help identify risk of disease and choose drugs that suit a person's genotype, sometimes called personalised medicine.
- Ethical issues Concerns include effects of GM crops on wild populations and food webs, false positive or negative test results, privacy of genetic data, and decisions about embryos. Decisions should weigh benefits against risks for different people.
Common mistakes in B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used?
- Saying genetic engineering is the same as selective breeding. Genetic engineering transfers specific genes directly; selective breeding chooses parents over many generations.
- Giving one-sided answers in evaluation questions. Give benefits and risks or concerns, then a justified conclusion.
- Writing that genetic tests are always accurate. Tests can give false positives and false negatives, which raises ethical issues.
- Mixing up the enzymes. Restriction enzymes cut DNA; ligase joins DNA fragments together.
- Claiming GM food is proven to be dangerous to eat. Say instead that some people have concerns and that long-term effects are still being studied.
Try three B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used? exam-style questions
1. Name the enzyme used to cut a gene from a DNA molecule. (1 mark)
Show the mark scheme answer
Restriction enzyme.
2. Describe how bacteria can be genetically engineered to produce human insulin. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
The insulin gene is cut from human DNA using restriction enzymes; a plasmid is cut with the same enzyme; the gene is inserted into the plasmid using ligase; the plasmid is taken up by bacteria, which multiply and produce insulin.
3. A couple who are both carriers of a genetic disorder are considering embryo screening. Evaluate the use of embryo screening. (6 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Benefits: allows selection of embryos without the disorder; avoids suffering for the child; reduces later medical costs; Concerns: embryos with the allele are destroyed; IVF and screening are expensive and not always successful; tests may be inaccurate; fears it could lead to selecting for non-medical traits; a justified conclusion.
B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used? FAQs
What does OCR GCSE Biology B B1.3 cover?
It covers genetic engineering, GM organisms, genetic testing and genome sequencing, and the benefits, risks and ethical issues they raise.
Which paper is B1.3 examined in?
J257 has two papers at each tier, Breadth in Biology and Depth in Biology, and content from any chapter, including B1, can be assessed on either one. Expect it to be linked to ideas about science and to other chapters.
How should I answer ethics questions on gene technology?
Name the technology, give at least two benefits and two concerns using the information provided, consider who is affected, and finish with a conclusion you justify.
