LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

QUARTER: 3rd / SEMESTER: 2nd/ WEEK: 2

Name: _______________________________________________ Score: _______

Grade & Section: ________________________ Subject: GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
Name of Teacher: _________________________________ Date: _____________

I. Title: Recombinant DNA

II. Type of Activity: Concept notes with formative activities
LAS for summative assessment
( Written Work Performance Task)

III. MELC: Discuss the applications of recombinant DNA (STEM_BIO11/12-IIIa-b-7).

IV. Learning Objective/s:

 Define and describe a recombinant DNA.
 Explain the applications of recombinant DNA.
 Value the importance of recombinant DNA to different processes of life.

V. Reference/s:

Online Resource/s:

Griffiths, A. (2021). Recombinant DNA. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.

com/science/genetic-engineering.

Kumar, S. (n. d.) Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology: 3 Applications.

Retrieved from https://www.biologydiscussion.com/dna/recombinant-
dna-technology/applications-of-recombinant-dna-technology-3-
applications/15650.

Rajakaruna, S. S. and Taylor-Robinson A. W. (2016). Application of

recombinant DNA technology (genetically modified organisms) to the
advancement of agriculture, medicine, bioremediation and
biotechnology industries. Retrieved from https://medcraveonline.com.

Smith, Y. (2013). Recombinant DNA Applications. Retrieved from https://www.

news-medical.net/life-sciences/Recombinant-DNA-Applications.aspx

1
VI. Concept Notes

RECOMBINANT DNA

Recombinant DNA, molecules of DNA from two different species that are
inserted into a host organism to produce new genetic combinations that are of value
to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry. Since the focus of all genetics is
the gene, the fundamental goal of laboratory geneticists is to isolate, characterize, and
manipulate genes. Although it is relatively easy to isolate a sample of DNA from a
collection of cells, finding a specific gene within this DNA sample can be compared to
finding a needle in a haystack. Consider the fact that each human cell contains
approximately 2 meters (6 feet) of DNA. Therefore, a small tissue sample will contain
many kilometers of DNA. However, recombinant DNA technology has made it
possible to isolate one gene or any other segment of DNA, enabling researchers to
determine its nucleotide sequence, study its transcripts, mutate it in highly specific
ways, and reinsert the modified sequence into a living organism.

Recombinant DNA Applications

Recombinant DNA (rDNA) has many uses in the society of today, from research
and biotechnology to the medicine stocked on the shelves of pharmacies. The ability
to manipulate the creation of DNA with technology has proven to be useful in various
applications, as outlined below.

1. Food Industry

The process to manufacture cheese usually relies on an enzyme called

rennet, which contains chymosin. Traditionally, this substance is taken from the
stomach milk-fed cows to manufacture cheese. However, recombinant DNA of
chymosin has been in use since 1990 and is genetically and structurally identical
to the original enzyme but can be produced in larger quantities and a lower cost.

A specific variety of rice, golden rice, is genetically engineered with

recombinant DNA to express enzymes that promote B-carotene biosynthesis. At
present this is still in the process of passing regulations but has the potential to
reduce prevalence of vitamin A deficiency worldwide.

2. Pharmaceutical Industry
Diabetic patients often require injections of human insulin to help control
levels of glucose, as they have lost the ability to regulate blood glucose effectively.
Using rDNA to create human insulin rather than obtain it form animal sources
allows their widespread use across the pharmaceutical industry.

Recombinant human growth hormone is used to support normal growth and

development for patients with malfunctions in the pituitary gland. This offers a
noticeable benefit, particularly when contrasted to previously used methods of
obtaining the hormone from cadavers, which could pose serious negative health
effects.

2
 Blood clotting factors play an essential role in the management of patients
that suffer from hemophilia, a bleeding disorder involving lack of ability to produce
enough blood clotting factor VIII for blood coagulation to function as normal. The
ability to manufacture recombinant blood clotting factor VIII allows larger quantities
to be used in practice and reduces the need for blood donation to obtain the factor
naturally.

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver that can be prevented with the hepatitis
B vaccine. Recombinant DNA of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen is produced
in yeast cells to be included in the vaccine. This is beneficial as the hepatitis virus
does not proliferate in vitro and recombinant DNA provides a method to create the
DNA needed to control hepatitis B.

3. Medicine
Biotechnology, especially genetic engineering plays an important role in the
production of antibiotics, hormones, vaccines and interferon in the field of
medicines.

 Production of Antibiotics

Penicillium and Streptomyces fungi are used for mass production of

famous antibiotics penicillin and streptomycin. Genetically efficient strains
of these fungi have been developed to greatly increase the yield of these
antibiotics.

 Production of Hormone Insulin

Insulin, a hormone, used by diabetics, is usually extracted from

pancreas of cows and pigs. This insulin is slightly different in structure from
human insulin. As a result, it leads to allergic reactions in about 5% patients.
Human gene for insulin production has been incorporated into bacterial
DNA and such genetically engineered bacteria are used for large scale
production of insulin. This insulin does not cause allergy.

 Production of Vaccines

Vaccines are now produced by transfer of antigen coding genes to

disease causing bacteria. Such antibodies provide protection against the
infection by the same bacteria or virus.

 Production of Interferon

Interferon’s are virus-induced proteins produced by virus-infected

cells. Interferon is antiviral in action and act as first line of defense against
viruses causing serious infections, including breast cancer and lymph nodes
malignancy. Natural interferon is produced in very small quality from human
blood cells. It is thus very costly also. It is now possible to produce interferon
by recombinant DNA technology at much cheaper rate.

3
  Production of Enzymes
Some useful enzymes can also be produced by recombinant DNA
technique. For instance, enzyme urikinase, which is used to dissolve blood
clots, has been produced by genetically engineered microorganisms.

 Gene Therapy

Genetic engineering may one day enable the medical scientists to

replace the defective genes responsible for hereditary diseases (e.g.,
haemophilia, phenylketonuria, alkaptonuria) with normal genes. This new
system of therapy is called gene therapy.

 Solution of Disputed Parentage:

Disputed cases of parentage can now be solved most accurately by

recombinant technology than by blood tests.

 Diagnosis of Disease

Recombinant DNA technology has provided a broad range of tools to

help physicians in the diagnosis of diseases. Most of these involve the
construction of probes: short Segments of single stranded DNA attached to a
radioactive or fluorescent marker. Such probes are now used for identification
of infectious agents, for instance, food poisoning Salmonella, Pus forming
Staphylococcus, hepatitis virus, HIV, etc. By testing the DNA of prospective
genetic disorder carrier parents, their genotype can be determined and their
chances of producing an afflicted child can be predicted.

4. Agricultural Industry
Some commercial crops, such as soy, maize, sorghum, canola, alfalfa and
cotton, are grown with recombinant DNA that increases resistance to herbicides
used in the agricultural process. Glyphosate is the herbicide known commonly as
Roundup is widely used among farmers to help with weed control and recombinant
genes in the agricultural crops allow them to grow without being affected by the
herbicide.

Additionally, recent developments have enabled plants to express a

recombinant form of Bt toxin protein usually produced by Bacillus thuringeiensis
bacteria. This is naturally able to control insects threatening agricultural crops and
has become a common practice in both gardening and farming. The long-term
health and environmental effect of the recombinant gene is still undetermined and
is a controversial issue.

 Distant Hybridization
With the advancement of genetic engineering, it is now possible to
transfer genes between distantly related species. The barriers of gene
transfer between species or even genera have been overcome. The

4
 desirable genes can be transferred even from lower organisms to higher
organisms through recombinant DNA technology.
 Development of Transgenic Plants
Genetically transformed plants which contain foreign genes are
called transgenic plants. Resistance to diseases, insects and pests,
herbicides, drought; metal toxicity tolerance; induction of male sterility for
plant breeding purpose; and improvement of quality can be achieved
through this recombinant DNA technology. BT-cotton, resistant to bollworms
is a glaring example.

 Development of Root Nodules in Cereal Crops

Leguminous plants have root-nodules which contain nitrogen fixing
bacteria Rhizobium. These bacteria convert the free atmospheric nitrogen
into nitrates in the root nodules. The bacterial genes responsible for this
nitrogen fixation can be transferred now to cereal crops like wheat, rice,
maize, barley etc. through the techniques of genetic engineering thus
making these crops too capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen.

 Development of C4 Plants
Improvement in yield can be achieved by improving the
photosynthetic efficiency of crop plants. The photosynthetic rate can be
increased by conversion of C3 plants into C4 plants, which can be achieved
either through protoplasm fusion or recombinant DNA technology C4 plants
have higher potential rate of biomass production than C3 plants. Most
C4 plants (sorghum, sugarcane, maize, some grasses) are grown in tropical
and subtropical zones.

5. Bioremediation
Pseudomonas putida and Nitrosomonas europaea are the organisms which
are typically utilized in bioremediation. The objective is to isolate the original genes
located in these bacteria that promote bioremediation, then modify and incorporate
them into a suitable host to be used as a bioremediation agent usually E. coli. This
may, however, impact normal ecosystems as well; for example, bacteria that have
an improved ability to digest petroleum could, if exposed, cause destruction of
important petroleum products. Hence, stringent monitoring of in situ bioremediation
is essential. In producing genetically modified bacteria, the simplest way of
screening is to incorporate a marker gene, which, typically is one that confers
antibiotic resistance. This achieves the purposeful generation of antibiotic-resistant
organisms which, if mishandled, could become problematic under natural
conditions.

6. Biotechnology
An appreciable biotechnological success and novel commercial application is
the production of genetically modified fluorescent zebrafish, Danio rerio, and similar
species using genes encoding glowing characteristics. This is marketed under the
GloFish® patent in the US where fish colored bright red, green, orange-yellow, blue
and purple are sold as pets to be kept in the controlled environment of an indoor

5
aquarium. In the event of release, inadvertent or deliberate, into the environment the
survival capacity of these constantly fluorescent fish is markedly reduced due to
increased vulnerability to predation compared to wild type fish; thus, the risk of
sustained ecological impact is marginal. However, in-depth research to confirm or
refute this notion is currently not possible because of insufficient understanding and a
lack of technology to study the nexus of evolutionary biology and ecology with specific
reference to the introduction of a novel species into, and its subsequent migration
from, an ecosystem.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Task 1. Check your Facts. Read and understand the statements comprehensively.
Write True of the statement is correct or False if the statement is incorrect.

1. Ligation is the process of joining two RNA pieces together using the enzyme
DNA ligase.

2. The most common application of recombinant DNA is in basic research.

3. Ligation is a method of making multiple copies of a DNA sequence using the
enzyme.

4. The recombinant organisms are population of clones, vulnerable in exact same

ways.
5. Recombinant DNA is widely used in biotechnology, medicine, and research.

Task 2. Check this Out. Based on your readings, write down the key learning points
of this activity sheet.
Definition of Recombinant DNA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Task 3. Check your Understanding. From your readings, write down the key learning
points of this activity sheet.
Definition of Recombinant DNA Technology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6
 YOU CAN DO MORE!

Task 4. Let’s Understand. Read and analyze the questions. Write the general
chemical equation of photosynthesis.

1. Which enzyme could be used to join two DNA fragments?

A. DNA ligase c. DNA recombinase
B. DNA polymerase d. DNA endonuclease

2. Which statement about recombinant DNA is true?

A. All restriction endonucleases generate blunt end fragments.
B. Hydrogen bonds between base pairs are very strong.
C. Restriction endonucleases cut both strands of DNA at the same time.
D. Sticky ends prevent DNA ligase activity.

3. Why are plant cells, as opposed to animal cells, particularly useful as hosts for
recombinant DNA?
A. Animal cells cannot be cultured.
B. Plant cells can make totipotent stem cells.
C. Plant cells have reverse transcriptase.
D. Plant cells have plasmids.

4. What task of DNA recombination does the technique of electroporation complete?

A. It separates proteins based on size.
B. It creates antisense DNA.
C. It measures the expression level of a gene.
D. It inserts the DNA into the host cell.

5. What characteristic makes plasmids useful as a vector?

A. Many plasmids contain genes that convey antibiotic resistance.
B. Plasmids do not need to be coaxed to infect cells by artificial means.
C. Plasmids use the same origin of replication as eukaryotic cells.
D. Plasmids can accommodate a large amount of DNA.

Task 5. Critical Thinking. Answer the question briefly and accurately.

Why was Escherichia coli a good choice for biomanufacturing insulin?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Task 6. Spotlight. Answer the question briefly but substantially.

Explain the role of enzymes in genetic engineering.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

7
 CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

Task 7. Let’s get Critical. Answer the following questions.

1. The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cDNA from mRNA is called _____.

2. Hosts that are altered by the insertion of recombinant DNA are known as
organisms.

3. Which property distinguishes an expression vector from a typical vector?

A. possession of a recognition sequence for a restriction enzyme
B. presence of reverse transcriptase
C. a promoter sequence
D. ability to replicate independently within the host.

4. Biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organisms for food is a very
controversial topic. Why are people afraid to consume the genetically enhanced
crops?

5. If all factors are equal, which genetically altered food would be of the most concern
to human health?
A. food that contains an inserted gene that allows the plants to grow faster.
B. food that contains an inserted gene that produces beta-carotene in beans.
C. food that contains an inserted gene that promotes flowering.
D. food that contains an inserted gene that allows plants to grow in soil with a
high salt concentration.

Task 8. Let’s get Familiar. Watch the video on ‘How Are Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMOs) are Created?’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-
yUuiqIZ0, and answer the question below.

What are the advantages of GM foods (e.g., GM papaya)?

Task 9. Let’s get Acquainted. Watch the video on ‘10 Worrying Facts About
Genetically Modified Food’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB_0OLKGMpQ,
and answer the question.

What are the disadvantages of GM foods?

8
 LEVEL UP!

Task 10. Let’s Evaluate. Write the pros and cons of Genetically Modified Foods
(GMFs).

Genetically Modified Foods

Pro Cons

Task 11. Let’s Appraise. Research/think of positive and negative arguments on

human cloning and summarize them below.

Human Cloning
Positive Negative

Task 12. Let’s Assess. In which of the following aspects do you think it is worthwhile
to develop genetic engineering? Why or why not?

Worthiness of development
5= very worthy,
Aspect Reasons
1= not worthy at all
(encircle the number)
Agriculture and
5 4 3 2 1
food industry

Medicine 5 4 3 2 1

Research 5 4 3 2 1

Environment 5 4 3 2 1