Biology • Year 12 • Module 6 • Lesson 8
Biotechnology: Definitions, Scope and Historical Trajectory
Lock in the broad definition of biotechnology, sort traditional vs modern examples, and place the key vocabulary that the rest of IQ2 will use.
1. Term–definition match
Definitions are shuffled. Write the matching term in the right-hand column. Choose from: biotechnology, traditional biotechnology, modern biotechnology, fermentation, recombinant DNA, precision breeding, selective breeding, domestication, cloning, gene editing. 10 marks
| # | Definition (shuffled) | Matching term |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | The use of living organisms, cells or biological processes to make products or solve problems in agriculture, medicine and industry. | |
| 1.2 | Use of microorganisms (e.g. yeast or bacteria) to produce foods such as bread, yoghurt, cheese and alcohol. | |
| 1.3 | DNA formed by combining genetic material from different sources. | |
| 1.4 | Longstanding use of biological systems such as fermentation, domestication and selective breeding — predates molecular knowledge. | |
| 1.5 | Choosing organisms with desired traits to reproduce, gradually shifting trait frequencies in a population over generations. | |
| 1.6 | Targeted use of genetic knowledge or technology to influence inheritance outcomes more directly than traditional selection alone. | |
| 1.7 | Contemporary technologies involving direct genetic analysis or manipulation, such as recombinant DNA, cloning and gene editing. | |
| 1.8 | Producing genetically identical copies of a cell, tissue or organism. | |
| 1.9 | Long-term shaping of a species for food, fibre or labour by humans (e.g. wheat, sheep, cattle). | |
| 1.10 | Technologies (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9) that make targeted changes to a specific DNA sequence in a living cell. |
2. Classify each example as Traditional or Modern biotechnology
Tick one column per row. If you classify an example as Modern, name one molecular tool or technique that justifies the label. 10 marks (1 per row)
| # | Example | Traditional | Modern | If Modern, tool used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Brewing beer using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast | |||
| 2.2 | Producing human insulin from genetically engineered Escherichia coli | |||
| 2.3 | Selectively breeding Merino sheep for finer wool | |||
| 2.4 | Using CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce a disease-resistance allele into wheat | |||
| 2.5 | Cheese production by inoculating milk with Lactobacillus cultures | |||
| 2.6 | Marker-assisted selection of dairy cattle using genomic data | |||
| 2.7 | Industrial production of laundry-detergent enzymes from engineered bacteria | |||
| 2.8 | Cultivation of einkorn wheat by Neolithic farmers around 10 000 BCE | |||
| 2.9 | DNA profiling of a crime-scene sample using PCR and STR analysis | |||
| 2.10 | Sourdough bread produced using wild yeasts and lactic-acid bacteria |
3. True or false — with correction
For each statement, circle T or F. If false, write the corrected version on the line below. 10 marks (1 T/F, 1 correction)
3.1 Biotechnology only includes modern techniques such as gene editing and recombinant DNA. T / F
3.2 Selective breeding of crops thousands of years ago is a form of traditional biotechnology even though the people doing it did not know about DNA. T / F
3.3 Insulin production is only relevant to chemistry, not to biotechnology. T / F
3.4 Recombinant DNA technology and fermentation are both examples of biotechnology, despite operating at very different levels of molecular control. T / F
3.5 Modern biotechnology has completely replaced all traditional methods of food and beverage production. T / F
4. Cloze paragraph — the scope of biotechnology
Fill each blank using one word or short phrase from the word bank. Each word is used only once. 10 marks
Word bank: agriculture · medicine · industry · traditional · modern · fermentation · recombinant DNA · insulin · selective breeding · broad
Biotechnology is the use of living organisms, cells or biological processes to produce useful products or solve problems across (4.1) _______________________, (4.2) _______________________ and (4.3) _______________________. (4.4) _______________________ biotechnology includes long-established practices such as (4.5) _______________________, used in bread and yoghurt production, and (4.6) _______________________ of crops and livestock for desired traits. (4.7) _______________________ biotechnology extends this with more direct genetic tools, including (4.8) _______________________ technology, in which DNA is combined from different sources. A useful bridge example is the production of human (4.9) _______________________ in engineered bacteria. The syllabus expects a (4.10) _______________________ definition that covers past, present and future uses of biology.
5. Function recall
Answer each in 1–2 sentences using precise lesson terminology. 8 marks (2 each)
5.1 What is the function of fermentation as a biotechnology?
5.2 What is the function of selective breeding in a population over many generations?
5.3 What is the function of recombinant DNA technology in modern medicine (use insulin as your example)?
5.4 What is the function of a broad definition of biotechnology when later lessons evaluate biodiversity and ethics?
6. Build a concept map
Draw labelled arrows between the six terms below to show how they connect. Each arrow must carry a linking phrase (e.g. "is a type of", "extends", "is applied in"). Aim for at least 6 labelled arrows. 6 marks
Supplied terms: biotechnology · traditional biotechnology · modern biotechnology · fermentation · recombinant DNA · agriculture / medicine / industry.
Q1 — Term–definition matches (10 marks)
1.1 biotechnology • 1.2 fermentation • 1.3 recombinant DNA • 1.4 traditional biotechnology • 1.5 selective breeding • 1.6 precision breeding • 1.7 modern biotechnology • 1.8 cloning • 1.9 domestication • 1.10 gene editing.
Marking: 1 mark per correct match.
Q2 — Traditional vs Modern (10 marks)
2.1 Traditional (yeast fermentation, no DNA manipulation). 2.2 Modern — recombinant DNA / genetic engineering of E. coli. 2.3 Traditional (selective breeding). 2.4 Modern — CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. 2.5 Traditional (microbial fermentation). 2.6 Modern — genomic/DNA marker analysis (marker-assisted selection). 2.7 Modern — recombinant production of enzymes in engineered organisms. 2.8 Traditional (domestication / selective cultivation). 2.9 Modern — PCR / STR DNA profiling. 2.10 Traditional (wild-microbe fermentation).
Marking: 1 mark per row. For "Modern" rows the mark requires correctly naming a molecular tool.
Q3 — True / False with correction (10 marks)
3.1 False. Biotechnology includes both traditional practices (e.g. fermentation, selective breeding) and modern molecular techniques.
3.2 True.
3.3 False. Insulin production is a major biotechnology example, especially in modern medicine — engineered microbes now produce human insulin.
3.4 True.
3.5 False. Modern biotechnology extends traditional methods but has not replaced them — fermentation and selective breeding remain widely used.
Q4 — Cloze paragraph (10 marks)
4.1 agriculture • 4.2 medicine • 4.3 industry • 4.4 Traditional • 4.5 fermentation • 4.6 selective breeding • 4.7 Modern • 4.8 recombinant DNA • 4.9 insulin • 4.10 broad. (Order 4.1–4.3 interchangeable.)
Q5.1 — Function of fermentation (2 marks)
Fermentation uses the metabolism of microorganisms (yeast, bacteria) to convert substrates such as sugars or milk into useful products (bread, alcohol, yoghurt, cheese). Its function is to harness biological metabolism for food, beverage and industrial production without needing to alter the organism’s DNA.
Q5.2 — Function of selective breeding (2 marks)
By repeatedly choosing organisms with desirable traits to reproduce, selective breeding gradually shifts allele frequencies in a population so the desired traits become more common in later generations. Its function is to direct inheritance toward human goals (yield, milk production, wool quality) without molecular tools.
Q5.3 — Function of recombinant DNA technology in medicine (2 marks)
Recombinant DNA technology inserts a chosen gene (e.g. the human insulin gene) into a host organism such as E. coli, which then expresses the gene and produces large amounts of the desired protein. Its function is to deliver consistent, scalable supplies of human-identical medicines such as insulin without relying on animal-derived sources.
Q5.4 — Function of a broad definition (2 marks)
A broad definition keeps all relevant practices — from fermentation to gene editing — inside the field, so later evaluations of biodiversity, ethics and social impact cover the whole scope of biotechnology, not just one modern technique. Its function is to prevent the syllabus discussion from collapsing into a narrow argument about CRISPR.
Q6 — Sample concept map (6 marks)
- biotechnology — splits into → traditional biotechnology
- biotechnology — splits into → modern biotechnology
- traditional biotechnology — includes → fermentation
- modern biotechnology — includes → recombinant DNA
- modern biotechnology — extends → traditional biotechnology
- biotechnology — is applied in → agriculture / medicine / industry
Any biologically valid linking phrases are accepted. Award full marks for at least 6 correctly labelled arrows respecting direction.