Question: “The AquaAdvantage genetically-engineered salmon are sterile because they are triploid, meaning they have three copies of each chromosome.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: AquaBounty, the company that grows AquaAdvantage salmon, claims to have put many safeguards in place to avoid accidental release of the genetically-modified fish or other contamination into the environment. Which of the following is NOT one of the safeguards discussed in this course?
Answer Options: All the wastewater that leaves the facilities is passed through a grinder, to kill any fish small enough to get into the drain pipes. The fish grown for consumption are only female. The salmon are grown in land-based facilities and not in ocean pens. Almost all the fish grown for consumption are sterile, meaning they cannot produce babies. Correct Answer: All the wastewater that leaves the facilities is passed through a grinder, to kill any fish small enough to get into the drain pipes
Question: Which of the following is a true statement or comparison about natural human fertilization (conception following certain sexual activities) and in vitro fertilization (IVF)?
Answer Options: Embryos created by IVF must be implanted in a uterus within 12 hours of being created, while natural embryos take several days to be implanted. Natural fertilization has a failure rate of about 20%, while IVF succeeds 95% of the time in females up to about 48 years old. IVF can only use an egg cell donated by someone other than one of the prospective parents, while natural fertilization uses an egg cell from one of the prospective parents. Specific hormones act as a signal to trigger ovulation in both natural human fertilization and in IVF. In natural fertilization, this hormone is sent from the brain, while in IVF additional amounts of this hormone are injected into the body. Correct Answer: Specific hormones act as a signal to trigger ovulation in both natural human fertilization and in IVF. In natural fertilization, this hormone is sent from the brain, while in IVF additional amounts of this hormone are injected into the body.
Question: “In IVF, a single sperm must be injected directly into an egg to achieve fertilization, as sperm cannot get into an egg outside of a uterus.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: False
Question: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique used to identify genetic problems in embryos. When/how is it used?
Answer Options: PGD is performed on a cell or cells taken from an embryo created in a laboratory. In PGD, an ultrasound is performed on a pregnant person’s uterus to look for defects in the structure or position of an embryo. The nucleus is removed from each cell of an embryo (one at a time) and the DNA in the nucleus is sequenced before the nucleus is returned to the cell. A needle is inserted into a pregnant person’s uterus to get cells from the embryo for PGD. Correct Answer: PGD is performed on a cell or cells taken from an embryo created in a laboratory.
Question: “A non-invasive form of prenatal testing involves looking at a fetus’s DNA, which can be found in the blood of someone who is pregnant.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: Which of the following can PGD be used for, as discussed in this course?
Answer Options: Genetically manipulating embryos Checking for chromosome abnormalities Determining the sexual orientation of an embryo Checking for the presence of cancer Correct Answer: Checking for chromosome abnormalities
Question: Which of the following is a true statement or comparison about natural human fertilization (conception following sexual activities) and in vitro fertilization (IVF)?
Answer Options: Natural fertilization requires a sperm cell and an egg cell, while IVF only requires an egg cell. IVF is sometimes considered as an option for conceiving a child when natural fertilization has failed or is not possible. For natural fertilization to occur, the brain must first release hormones to stimulate mature egg production; in IVF, immature egg cells are harvested in the absence of hormone stimulation. While embryos created by natural fertilization develop entirely in a natural uterus, embryos created by IVF develop in an artificial uterus in a laboratory for the first 4.5 weeks, before being implanted in a natural uterus. Correct Answer: IVF is sometimes considered as an option for conceiving a child when natural fertilization has failed or is not possible.
Question: “In IVF, a single sperm must be injected directly into an egg to achieve fertilization, as sperm cannot get into an egg outside of a uterus.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: False
Question: Which of the following statements about preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is true?
Answer Options: PGD is performed on embryos created by natural fertilization after the placenta has formed. Because cells must be removed from the embryo for testing, PGD always leads to physical defects in the resulting baby. PGD involves sequencing the DNA in an embryo created by IVF to look for genetic defects before the embryo is used to establish a pregnancy. PGD is a risky procedure for a pregnant person, because it involves using a needle to sample the amniotic fluid. Correct Answer: PGD involves sequencing the DNA in an embryo created by IVF to look for genetic defects before the embryo is used to establish a pregnancy.
Question: “Some forms of standard prenatal testing are invasive, meaning that a sample of cells or amniotic fluid is taken from the uterus. Because the embryo is present during this testing, there is a risk of miscarriage following testing.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: Which of the following can PGD be used for, as discussed in this course?
Answer Options: Checking for severe hereditary diseases Determining the adult height of an embryo Checking for the presence of cancerous cells Genetically manipulating embryos Correct Answer: Checking for severe hereditary diseases
Question: “The widespread availability of ultrasound technology to determine the sex of unborn babies has led to a rise in gendercide, where fetuses have been selectively aborted based only on their sex and not due to a health concern.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: What are savior siblings, according to what you learned in this course?
Answer Options: They are the product of embryos that have been genetically engineered to produce a protein that can save the life of a sibling or first cousin. They are a clone of a sick sibling, except that the savior sibling’s embryo is genetically modified to repair the defective genes before implantation. They are the product of embryos that are created using IVF and then chosen for implantation after PGD has identified them as being a suitable stem cell/bone marrow donor for a sick older sibling. They are a twin of a sick sibling who does not develop the same disease and can serve as an organ donor to save the life of their twin. Correct Answer: They are the product of embryos that are created using IVF and then chosen for implantation after PGD has identified them as being a suitable stem cell/bone marrow donor for a sick older sibling.
Question: “PGD could be used to select a specific embryo for social rather than medical reasons. For example, people might select an embryo with a certain hair and eye color and discard embryos with what they think is the ‘wrong’ hair or eye color.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: Some animals have been genetically engineered to try to solve a perceived problem. Which of the following animals did you learn about in this part of the course?
Answer Options: Mice that have been genetically engineered to produce cancer-fighting drugs in their urine. Pigs that are genetically engineered to make their organs more suitable for transplantation into humans. Cats that have been genetically engineered so that their fur/hair does not cause them to get hairballs. Rabbits that have been genetically engineered to make human insulin in their milk. Correct Answer: Pigs that are genetically engineered to make their organs more suitable for transplantation into humans.
Question: “There are examples of pharmaceuticals produced in animal milk via biopharming that have been approved by regulatory agencies for use in humans.” The preceding statement is…
Answer Options: True False Correct Answer: True
Question: How is the active ingredient in ATryn made?
Answer Options: It is made by rabbits that have been genetically engineered to produce it in their milk. It is made by goats that have been genetically engineered to produce it in their milk. It is made by pregnant female horses that have been genetically engineered to produce it in their urine. It is extracted from human plasma (a component of blood). Correct Answer: It is made by goats that have been genetically engineered to produce it in their milk.
Question: These steps are about how to create a herd of goats that can produce human anti-thrombin in their milk. Which of these options lists the steps of creating these goats in the correct order?
Answer Options: Implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate goat; Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans; Milk the transgenic female goats and purify the anti-thrombin for sale; Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans; Transfect or inject the DNA into a goat egg; If the transgenic goat kid is female, test for anti-thrombin in her milk. Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans; Transfect or inject the DNA into a goat egg; Implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate goat; If the transgenic goat kid is female, test for anti-thrombin in her milk; Milk the transgenic female goats and purify the anti-thrombin for sale. Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans; Transfect or inject the DNA into a goat egg; Implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate goat; If the transgenic goat kid is female, test for anti-thrombin in her milk; Milk the transgenic female goats and purify the anti-thrombin for sale; Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans. Implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate goat; If the transgenic goat kid is female, test for anti-thrombin in her milk; Milk the transgenic female goats and purify the anti-thrombin for sale; Transfect or inject the DNA into a goat egg; Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans. Correct Answer: Identify the gene that encodes anti-thrombin in humans; Transfect or inject the DNA into a goat egg; Implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate goat; If the transgenic goat kid is female, test for anti-thrombin in her milk; Milk the transgenic female goats and purify the anti-thrombin for sale.