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5 Use of biological resources

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4 topics · 20 learning objectives

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  1. (a) Food production

    1. Describe how glasshouses and polythene tunnels can be used to increase the yield of certain crops.

    2. Understand the effects on crop yield of increased carbon dioxide and increased temperature in glasshouses.

    3. Understand how the use of fertiliser can increase crop yield.

    4. Understand the reasons for pest control and the advantages and disadvantages of using pesticides and biological control with crop plants.

    5. Understand the role of yeast in the production of food including bread.

    6. Practical: investigate the role of anaerobic respiration by yeast in different conditions.

    7. Understand the role of bacteria (Lactobacillus) in the production of yoghurt.

    8. Understand the use of an industrial fermenter and explain the need to provide suitable conditions in the fermenter, including aseptic precautions, nutrients, optimum temperature and pH, oxygenation and agitation, for the growth of micro-organisms.

    9. Understand the methods used to farm large numbers of fish to provide a source of protein, including maintaining water quality, controlling intraspecific and interspecific predation, controlling disease, removing waste products, controlling the quality and frequency of feeding, and selective breeding.

  2. (b) Selective breeding

    1. Understand how selective breeding can develop plants with desired characteristics.

    2. Understand how selective breeding can develop animals with desired characteristics.

  3. (c) Genetic modification (genetic engineering)

    1. Understand how restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA at specific sites and ligase enzymes are used to join pieces of DNA together.

    2. Understand how plasmids and viruses can act as vectors, which take up pieces of DNA, and then insert this recombinant DNA into other cells.

    3. Understand how large amounts of human insulin can be manufactured from genetically modified bacteria that are grown in a fermenter.

    4. Understand how genetically modified plants can be used to improve food production.

    5. Understand that the term transgenic means the transfer of genetic material from one species to a different species.

  4. (d) Cloning

    1. 5.17BMicropropagation process

      Describe the process of micropropagation (tissue culture) in which explants are grown in vitro.

    2. 5.18BCommercial micropropagation

      Understand how micropropagation can be used to produce commercial quantities of genetically identical plants with desirable characteristics.

    3. 5.19BCloned mammals

      Describe the stages in the production of cloned mammals involving the introduction of a diploid nucleus from a mature cell into an enucleated egg cell, illustrated by Dolly the sheep.

    4. 5.20BUses of cloned transgenic animals

      Understand how cloned transgenic animals can be used to produce human proteins.