Biotechnology and genetic modification
Why bacteria are useful
- Biotechnology uses living things (or their enzymes) to make useful products.
- Bacteria are especially useful because:
- they reproduce very fast,
- they can make complex molecules,
- (Supplement) there are few ethical concerns, and they contain plasmids (small DNA rings that are easy to work with).
Practice
Biotechnology uses:
Biotechnology uses organisms or their enzymes to make useful products.
Practice
Why are bacteria useful in biotechnology? (Choose all that apply.)
Fast reproduction, the ability to make complex molecules and handy plasmids make bacteria ideal.
Practice
Plasmids are small rings of DNA found in bacteria.
Plasmids are small DNA rings; they are easy to cut and rejoin, useful in genetic modification.
You've got it
Key idea
- biotechnology uses organisms or their enzymes to make products
- bacteria are ideal: fast reproduction, make complex molecules
- (Supplement) few ethical worries, and handy plasmids to work with