AQA GCSE Biology Foundation (8461), Foundation tier · Ecology › Food production
Practise Role of biotechnology. 6 exam-style questions plus unlimited generated ones on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
How modern biotechnology helps to feed a growing population: culturing microorganisms such as the fungus Fusarium to make mycoprotein, genetically modified bacteria that make human insulin, and GM crops such as golden rice. Expect 'describe' and 'explain' questions and evaluations of GM crops. This subtopic is in GCSE Biology only, not Combined Science.
Key facts
Mycoprotein: protein-rich food from the fungus Fusarium, suitable for vegetarians
Fusarium is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions; the biomass is harvested and purified
GM bacteria produce human insulin to treat diabetes
GM crops: more food, or food with improved nutritional value
Golden rice: GM rice containing beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A
Concerns about GM crops: wild flowers and insects; long-term effects on health
Notes
Growing microorganisms for food
diagram
Biotechnology now lets us grow microorganisms in huge quantities as food.
The fungus Fusarium is used to produce mycoprotein, a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians.
Fusarium is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions (air is supplied) in large vessels called fermenters. The biomass is then harvested and purified.
Conditions such as temperature and pH are controlled, and the fermenter is kept sterile so that other microorganisms do not contaminate the product.
A fermenter for growing Fusarium. Air supplies oxygen for aerobic respiration; everything going in is sterile.
Microorganisms grow very quickly and can be grown all year round in any climate, using little land.
GM bacteria and insulin
Bacteria that have been genetically modified make human insulin, which is harvested, purified and used to treat people with diabetes.
The human insulin gene is inserted into bacteria using a plasmid. The bacteria are grown in fermenters, where they make the insulin.
GM crops
GM crops could increase the amount of food grown, or make food more nutritious.
Golden rice has been genetically modified to produce beta-carotene in the grain. The body uses beta-carotene to make vitamin A, so golden rice could reduce vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness, where rice is the main food.
Other GM crops are resistant to insect pests or herbicides, or give higher yields.
Some people worry that GM crops could harm populations of wild flowers and insects, and that the long-term effects on health of eating GM food are not yet fully known.
How to answer each type of question
Describe how mycoprotein is produced
3 marksGrade 4
Name the fungus: Fusarium.
Say it is grown on glucose syrup, with air supplied (aerobic conditions).
Say the biomass is harvested and purified.
Example. Describe how mycoprotein is produced.
Show the model answerHide the model answer
The fungus Fusarium is grown in a fermenter on glucose syrup (1). Air / oxygen is supplied, so the conditions are aerobic (1). The fungal biomass is harvested and purified (1).
Don’t lose marks
Calling Fusarium a bacterium. It is a fungus.
Saying Fusarium is grown in anaerobic conditions. It needs oxygen (aerobic).
Saying golden rice contains vitamin A. It contains beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A.
Saying the insulin is 'bacterial insulin'. It is human insulin made by genetically modified bacteria.