General Biology Module

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General Biology Module
Biological Psychology (Holy Angel University)
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12
General Biology II
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Recombinant DNA

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Biology 2 – Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1
First Edition, 2020
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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio
Development Team of the Module

Writer: Mary Ann U. Pangan
Editor: Aiisa C. Corpuz, PhD
Reviewers: Lily Beth B. Mallari
Illustrator: Mary Ann U. Pangan
Layout Artist: Mary Ann U. Pangan
Management Team: Maria Carmen P. Cuenco, EdD, CESO V
Lourdes G. Dela Cruz, PhD
Robert E. Osongco,EdD
Lily Beth B. Mallari
Aiisa C. Corpuz, PhD
Rebecca K. Sotto,PhD
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General Biology II
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Recombinant DNA

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Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to the General Biology II Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on

Recombinant DNA.
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:
Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.
As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:
Welcome to the General Biology II Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on

Recombinant DNA.
The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:
What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.
What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.
What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.
What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.
What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.
What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.
Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.
At the end of this module you will also find:
References This is a list of all sources used in developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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What I Need to Know
General Biology II Module is a Science, Technology Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) Specialized Subject taken by the Senior High Students.
Learners go on journey geared toward the deeper understanding and appreciation of
life processes at the cellular and molecular levels previously introduced in Grade 11.
This module has pedagogical features adapted from the Deped textbook
designed to help students understand the concepts at hand. These features
encourage the students to engage in exploration and scientific inquiry.
These features, alongside the condensed and concise presentation of facts

encourage students to recognize relationships among details, form generalizations
based on the information provided and apply what is learned to life situations for an
enriching and enjoyable learning experience.
The module is divided into 2 lessons, namely:

• Lesson 1 – Process of Genetic Engineering
• Lesson 2 – Recombinant DNA Technology
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain the principle of recombinant DNA technology.
2. Discuss the applications of recombinant DNA Technology.
3. Formulate an informed opinion regarding genetically modified organisms.
4. Outline the processes involved in genetic engineering.

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What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. What is the structure of DNA?

a. Two strands of nucleotides arranged in a double helix
b. A single strand of nucleotides arranged in a helix
c. A circular strand of nucleotides twisted together
d. A double helix of nitrogenous bases twisted together
2. A molecular technique in which DNA sequences between two oligonucleotide

primers can be amplified is known as?
a. southern blotting
b. northern blotting
c. polymerase chain reaction
d. DNA replication
3. The deliberate modifications of an organism's genetic information by directly

changing its nucleic acid content is a subject matter?
a. genetic engineering
b. population genetics
c. microbiology
d. protein engineering
4. Charged molecules are separated based on varying rates of migration

through a solid matrix when subjected to an electric field. This technique is
known as?
a. photoreactivation
b. gel electrophoresis
c. autoradiography
d. blotting
5. An animal, that has gained new genetic information from the acquisition of
foreign DNA, is considered as a
a. a chimera
b. a transgenic animal
c. a vector
d. an enzyme that links DNA molecules

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Lesson
Genetic Engineering
1
Every type of tissue in your body contains
a complete copy of your body’s DNA (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Typical tissue cell contains copy of

DNA (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/CGrfc23E3k6P9Hb7
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DNA can be transferred from one kind

of species to another (Figure 2).
Figure 2. These pigs’ glow from having received jellyfish bioluminescent

genes as embryos. (source: https://images.app.goo.gl/w3opu2spgjxuQyWH8
Our recent advance in DNA technology is the production of transgenic animals –

animals that contain genes from another species. For example, researches have
created a variety of miniature pigs for the purpose of providing organs for human
transplants. A unique feature of these pigs is a yellow snout and hooves due to a
gene introduced from jellyfish! This makes the pigs easy to identify.

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What’s In
How do engineers change the traits of organisms? DNA contains all of the genetic
information to determine an organism's traits or characteristics. By modifying the
DNA, engineers are able to determine which traits an organism will possess. Can
anyone guess what would happen if we combined the DNA from these two creatures?
Could engineers create a "spiderman" in the lab today? However, in 2000, engineers
created the first goat able to produce spider silk proteins (an amazingly strong and
elastic fiber with futuristic benefits in construction [bridge suspension cables,
airbags that are gentler for passengers], medicine [artificial skin to heal burns,
artificial ligaments, thread for stitching wounds] and the military [body armor] if
sufficient quantities could be generated), so maybe it is not too far away.
The central dogma of molecular biology explains the flow of genetic

information from genes to proteins. It provides a molecular mechanism in
understanding how genotype translates to phenotype. It became apparent then that
changing an organismal trait is possible by altering its genetic make up. Genetic
engineering involves manipulating genes in order to make useful products.

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What’s New
Activity 1. DNA Paper Model Activity

Introduction:
Imagine DNA as a twisted ladder. The outside of the ladder is made up of alternating
sugar and phosphate molecules. The sugar is called deoxyribose. The rungs of the
ladder are made of a pair of molecules called bases. There are four bases in DNA:
adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Because of the chemical structures of the
bases, adenine only pairs with thymine and cytosine only pairs with guanine to form
a rung.
Procedure:
1. From the paper provided by your teacher (cut out patterns will be attached to your
module), cut out the pattern for the chemical bases sugars, and phosphates assigned
to you.
2.Arrange the cut outs on any firm surface to form the pattern described in the
introduction. BE SURE YOU LAY ALL PIECES OUT BEFORE GLUING THEM
TOGETHER! As a guide, you can attach the chemical base to the sugar molecule by
matching up the dots. You can attach the phosphate group onto your model by
matching up the stars, and you can attach the top of the phosphates to the sugars
by matching up the squares.
3. Paste or tape the model together.
4. Put your name on your model.
5. When finished, check your model, it should have constructed a long DNA molecule.
• Check the pictures below as your guide on how your DNA paper model looks
like. Or you may access this site for DNA paper model video clip:
• Click this for video clip of DNA paper model:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXYWYGOpdts

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Figure 3. A DNA molecule (source: https://images.app.goo.gl/DjzD7XK5FqfmBR1B6)
Figure 4. Constructing a DNA ladder (source: https://images.app.goo.gl/TE6J7D4gb1GXkPm68)
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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Cut out pattern
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What is It
What is DNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a large biomolecule that contains the complete
genetic information for an organism. Every cell of living organisms and many viruses,
contains DNA. The basic building block of a DNA molecule is called a nucleotide, and
a single strand of DNA may contain billions of nucleotides. (Refer to Figure 1 to see
the DNA structure with labeled parts.) Although each DNA molecule contains many
of these building blocks, only four unique nucleotides are used to create the entire
DNA sequence; these are written as A, G, C and T. Analogous to how the 26 letters
of the alphabet can be arranged to create words with different meanings, these four
nucleotides can be arranged in sequences to "spell" the genetic instructions to create
all of the different proteins organisms need to live.
Because DNA contains instructions for an organism to create several different
proteins, it is useful to define another sub-unit of DNA called genes (shown in Figure
2). Each gene is a small segment of DNA that contains a set of instructions for an
organism to create a single protein; a single organism may have thousands of
different genes. Together, the entire set of genes for an organism is called its genome.
To use another analogy, think of the genome as an entire cookbook for an organism,
and each gene is an individual recipe in that cookbook. When a single recipe is
followed, the result is a specific protein.
Figure 1. The DNA structure: Nucleotide

building blocks are shown in nearly atomic
detail. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/XvqegE5qYre1w
mF3A
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Figure 2 A gene is a section of a DNA

molecule that contains the information to
build a single protein. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/jE25kH4fw4iZKg
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Why are proteins important?

Proteins perform all of the work in organisms. Some functions of proteins include:
a. Serving as catalysts for reactions

b. Performing cell signaling
c. Transporting molecules across membranes
d. Creating structures
When a protein is created by its gene, it is said that the gene is "expressed," or
used. Most gene expressions do not produce results visible to the unaided eye.
However, some genes, such as those that code for proteins responsible for pigment,
do have visual expression. The expression of a gene in an observable manner is
called a phenotypic trait; one example is an organism's hair color. In fact,
everything you can see in an organism is a result of proteins or protein actions.
How is DNA used in genetic engineering?
Figure 3. An example of how the genetic

engineering process can be used in drug
production. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/6PFQY4tvM1feBf6X9)
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By definition, genetic engineering is the direct altering of an organism's

genome. This is achieved through manipulation of the DNA. Doing this is possible
because DNA is like a universal language; all DNA for all organisms is made up of
the same nucleotide building blocks. Thus, it is possible for genes from one organism
to be read by another organism. In the cookbook analogy, this equates to taking a
recipe from one organism's cookbook and putting into another cookbook. Now
imagine that all cookbooks are written in the same language; thus, any recipe can
be inserted and used in any other cookbook.
In practice, since DNA contains the genes to build certain proteins, by
changing the DNA sequence, engineers are able to provide a new gene for a
cell/organism to create a different protein. The new instructions may supplement
the old instructions such that an extra trait is exhibited, or they may completely
replace the old instructions such that a trait is changed.
Genetic Engineering Technique

The process for genetic engineering begins the same for any organism being modified
(Figure 3 for an example of this procedure).
1. Identify an organism that contains a desirable gene.
2. Extract the entire DNA from the organism.
3. Remove this gene from the rest of the DNA. One way to do this is by using a
restriction enzyme. These enzymes search for specific nucleotide sequences
where they will "cut" the DNA by breaking the bonds at this location.
4. Insert the new gene to an existing organism's DNA. This may be achieved
through a number of different processes.
When modifying bacteria, the most common method for this final step is to add
the isolated gene to a plasmid, a circular piece of DNA used by bacteria. This is done
by "cutting" the plasmid with the same restriction enzyme that was used to remove
the gene from the original DNA. The new gene can now be inserted into this opening
in the plasmid and the DNA can be bonded back together using another enzyme
called ligase. This process, shown in Figure 4, creates a recombinant plasmid.
Figure 4. Building a recombinant plasmid to

modify bacteria. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/JExCnUn7EZdh2
m9s8)
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Once the recombinant DNA has been built, it can be passed to the organism
to be modified. If modifying bacteria, this process is quite simple. The plasmid can
be easily inserted into the bacteria where the bacteria treat it as their own DNA. For
plant modification, certain bacteria such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens may be used
because these bacteria permit their plasmids to be passed to the plant's DNA.
What’s More
Activity 2. Modeling Bacteria Transformation Worksheet

Instruction: Using the word choices provided in the boxes, fill in the numbered
boxes with the steps of bacteria transformation and the lettered lines with the
name of the structure next to it. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
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Word Choices for Numbers Word Choices for Letters

• bacteria transformed with recombinant plasmid • foreign DNA with desired
• plasmid cut with restriction enzyme gene
• DNA ligase joins sticky ends to form recombinant plasmid • plasmid
• recombinant DNA
What I Have Learned
1. Genetic engineering involves the manipulation of genes to produce a desired effect.

Recombinant DNA technology is one technique wherein a gene of interest from a one
organism is inserted into the genome of another. This involves gene cloning using a
bacterial plasmid as a vector. Gene copies may be isolated and inserted to other
organisms to confer upon them the desired trait. Alternatively, bacterial cells may
express the inserted gene in order to produce protein products.
What I Can Do
Activity 3. Complete the Genetic Engineering Flow Chart. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
Genetic Engineering Flow Chart
Name:
Date:
Methods to modify genes
Replacement of genes
(recombination)
Creates genetically modified

organisms (GMOs)
Use of GM bacteria Use of GM plants Use of GM animals
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Assessment
Direction: Essay. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Describe the role of restriction enzymes in the process of transformation.
2. Describe how bacteria can be made to produce human insulin.
3. Antigens are proteins that illicit an immune response from the human body.
Some vaccines contain these proteins so the body can provide immunity from the
pathogen, such as bacteria that harbor these harmful antigens. What might be some
roles for bacteria that would benefit humans in terms of antigen production?
4. Make an outline on genetic engineering process.
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Additional Activities
Activity 3. Own Creature Organism

Instruction:
• Learners (individually) create your own recombinant organisms. You can
pick any organism and decide what gene you would like to add.
• If desired, provide a list of genes from which you can choose (such as genes
that makes an organism smarter, bigger, faster, grow extra limbs, etc.).
• Write down a potential use for the resulting creatures.
• Finally, sketch your recombinant creatures on how it will look like on a
short bond paper.
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What’s More
A. plasmid
B. foreign DNA with
desired gene
C. recombinant DNA
6. plasmid cut with
restriction enzyme
7. DNA ligase joins
sticky ends
8. bacteria
transformed
What I Know Assessment
1. D 1. Restriction enzymes are used to cut the
DNA of both the organism with the desired
2. C gene and the plasmid. This allows the
3. A fusion of the nitrogen base pairs of the two
DNA segments.
4. B 2. First, a restriction enzyme cuts both a
5. B bacterial plasmid and the human insulin
gene. Then, an enzyme called ligase joins
the nitrogen bases of the cut plasmid and
human insulin gene together. This
recreates a recombinant plasmid. Then this
recombinant plasmid can be inserted into a
bacterial cell. When the bacterial cell
reproduces, it creates more cells that now
have the recombinant plasmid and can
produce the protein, insulin.
3. Bacteria could be genetically engineered to
produce only the desired antigen proteins
by creating a recombinant organism.
4. Answers will vary.
Lesson 1. Genetic Engineering
Answer Key
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Lesson
Recombinant DNA
2 Technology
"Seeing is believing with GloFish. They are absolutely stunning!" The

preceding is some of the marketing material you'd read if you visited the GloFish
website (GloFish, 2008). Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but nearly
everyone would agree that these first—and, so far, only—transgenic animals made
available to the general public in the United States are a worthy conversation piece.
A transgenic, or genetically modified, organism is one that has been altered through
recombinant DNA technology, which involves either the combining of DNA from
different genomes or the insertion of foreign DNA into a genome. GloFish (Figure 1)
are a type of transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) that have been modified through the
insertion of a green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene. Not all GloFish are green, however.
Rather, there are several gfp gene constructs, each encoding a different colored
phenotype, from fluorescent yellow to fluorescent red.
Currently, GloFish are the only recombinant-DNA animal that has been
approved for human "use" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Their approval
has raised important questions about whether, and to what extent, genetically
modified animals should be made available to consumers. But how were scientists
able to create these engineered organisms in the first place? Like so many genetic
technologies used today, recombinant DNA technology had its origins in the late
1960s and early 1970s. By the 1960s, scientists had already learned that cells repair
DNA breaks by reuniting, or recombining, the broken pieces. Thus, it was only a
matter of time before researchers identified the raw biological ingredients necessary
for recombination, figured out how those ingredients functioned together, and then
tried to govern the recombining process themselves.
Figure 1: The multicolored GloFish®.

Courtesy of www.glofish.com. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/3TVafXZtFqANMf9b9)
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What’s In
Many people are unaware that humans have been practicing genetic
engineering since ancient times. Selective breeding in agricultural crops and
livestock has actually altered the genetic makeup of these organisms over the
centuries in such a way that they no longer resemble their non-domesticated
relatives. This practice has been common long before genes were discovered. In
artificial selection, however, genes are only manipulated indirectly because it is only
the physical traits that are selected.
All organisms on Earth evolved from a common ancestor, so all organisms use
DNA as their molecule of heredity. At the chemical level, DNA is the same whether it
is taken from a microscopic bacterium or a blue whale. As a result, DNA from
different organisms can be “cut and pasted” together, resulting in “recombinant
DNA”.
With the advancement of technology, scientists are now able to directly study
and manipulate genes in the lab. This require isolating a specific gene and making
several copies of that gene, a process called DNA cloning (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Manipulating genes in the laboratory. (Source:

https://images.app.goo.gl/QyeJbec4myHP5v519)
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What’s New
Activity 1. Cloning Issues

Instruction: Read the essay below and write your opinion on a separate sheet.
There is a guide question for you on what you will write based on your own opinion.
Guide Question: Is it cloning is an ethical problem?
Essay: Human Cloning and Never Let Me Go: Ethical Problems from Clones’ Perspectives
Imagine growing up in an exclusive boarding school called Hailsham in the

English countryside. It was a place of mysterious rules where teachers were constantly
reminding the students of how “special” they were. After graduation, the students were
told that they were clones made specifically to donate their body parts to human
patients. Despite the fact that the students seem no different from other human beings-
--their teenage happiness, anguish, and romantic relationships that they go through
during their Hailsham days---they will be commanded to be confined in hospital after
they hit a certain age in order to have their organs taken out for transplants. Usually
they have such operations several times before they “complete” -- a metaphor for “die”
-- at around the age of thirty. This is the premise of the award-winning novel published
in 2005 by Kazuo Ishiguro, “Never Let Me Go,” which raises important questions
including moral issues surrounding human cloning.
In the first place, it is a human rights infringement to treat cloned humans as
commodities or research tools. When the protagonists in “Never Let Me Go” know of
their fate as adult donors, they are devastated. They start to believe in the rumor that
if a cloned couple is truly in love, and if they can prove to the scientists that they have
“souls” at all, they can postpone their roles as donors---that they can live a few years
as other human couples do before donation. However, the rumor turned out to be
untrue. They quietly accept their own fate and give in to it.
In the second place, human cloning causes identity confusion in the clones with
their originals. In the novel, one protagonist goes on a journey with her mates to find
her “possible” --the person who might have been a model for her. It has been a taboo
topic for the Hailsham students before because “one big idea behind finding your model
was that when you did, you’d glimpse your future.” It is clear that how their models
led their lives has great impact on their identity, as they think they share the exact
same genes and that they might follow the same paths as their originals did.
In the third place, there is an issue of technical and medical safety of cloned
humans. The Hailsham students get frequent health check-ups because their health
conditions in the long run are yet to be proved as the same as uncloned humans’. They
are told that “keeping yourselves well, and keeping yourselves healthy inside is the
most important” over and over again.
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James Caryn says, “Ishiguro’s idea, that clones are people, too, shapes his novel,
which takes the theme to a more profound level”. Indeed, his work precisely appeals
to our morality on the issue of human cloning being ethically problematic for cloned
human beings in terms of their human rights infringement as research tools, confusing
identity issues with the originals, and technical and medical safety. This society needs
to find other alternatives apart from human cloning as it contains many a problem
which requires hard decisions.
(source: https://sites.google.com/site/humantechnologyandethics/masashi-yoshida-
1/essay)
What is It
Recombinant DNA Technology
Recombinant DNA is constructed by mixing DNA from two different sources (Figure
2). Here, a bacterial plasmid is typically used as a vector. A plasmid is a small circular
DNA found in bacteria, distinct from the much larger and also circular bacterial
chromosome. A restriction enzyme is used to cut the plasmid at specific sites. The
gene of interest from a donor organism is isolated, using the same restriction enzyme,
and is inserted into the plasmid. The resulting plasmid, now a recombinant molecule,
is inserted back to the bacterial cell. The bacterium divides multiple times to produce
a large number of identical cells, all having the recombinant plasmid with the gene
of interest (Figure 2). From there, the gene copies may be isolated and inserted to
other organisms to confer upon them the desired trait. For example, genes for pest
resistance may be isolated, cloned, and inserted to into plant cells. Alternatively,
bacterial cells may express the inserted gene in order to produce protein products.
Some important human proteins are produced by this technique.
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Figure 3. Formation of Recombinant DNA

(source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/HMVMPmf97LNGkE
UX8
Genetically Modified Plants
Recombinant DNA technology has been widely used in improving crop varieties. With
the use of this technique, several transgenic or genetically modified organisms (GMO)
have been produced. Typically, the vector used to insert genes into plant calls is the
Ti plasmid, from the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacterium
normally causes the crown gall disease in plants by using its Ti, or tumor-inducing,
plasmid to insert into plant cells. The plasmid incorporates a portion of its DNA into
the DNA of the plant cells. Genetically modified (GM) plants are produced by
integrating a gene of interest into the Ti plasmid before inserting the plasmid into the
plant cells. These now possess genes that would confer traits such as resistance to
certain bacterial or fungal pests. For example, genetically engineered corn, also called
‘Bt corn” express a gene from the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus Thruringiensis,
making them resistant to the corn borer disease (Figure 3). The “golden rice” is a
transgenic variety of rice that is engineered to produce beta-carotene and prevent
vitamin-A deficiency. The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines has
been active in the research and development golden rice. Rice and potato have
modified to produce harmless proteins derived from cholera to serve as a natural
vaccine. Soybean has been engineered to have resistance against herbicides. Thus,
an entire field can be exposed to herbicides in order to destroy the weeds without
harming the crops.
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Figure 5. Corn borer infestation (inset) and field testing of genetically engineered corn. (source:
https://images.app.goo.gl/eE4DqYLBhitzm67W6
Other Applications of Genetic Engineering
Genetic modification is not limited to plants. Recombinant bacterial cells with human
genes can be used in order to produce human proteins. One example is human
insulin. People with type I diabetes could not synthesize their own insulin. Thus,
they need to inject themselves daily. Other examples are human growth hormone,
which is taken to cure stunted growth, and tissue plasminogen activator, which
dissolves blood clots among patients who had heart attack.
If larger quantities of the protein are required, an option is to insert the gene
in animals. For example, transgenic pigs (Figure 4), have been used to order to
produce human hemoglobin. Human clotting factors have also been produced in the
milk of transgenic goats. Animals that are used to synthesize such pharmaceutical
products are referred to as “pharm “animals. Transgenic animals are not usually sold
for food because these take a long time to produce.
Figure 6 Genetically Modified Pig 31

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Ethical Considerations
The ability to make modifications in the genome provides unlimited possibilities.

With this, some groups raise public concerns about the possible negative effects of
the widespread used of GM products. Some of these concerns include, unexpected
health problems, like allergic reaction, upon consumption, transfer of resistance
genes between GM plants and potential pathogens, and possible harmful effects on
other species within the ecosystem.
The Philippines is one of the countries that was open to large-scale

introduction, research, and commercialization of GM crops. Today, almost one
million hectares has been utilized in planting Bt corn. The “Bt talong”, which was
developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding at UP Los Banos, is variant of the
eggplant that is resistant to shoot and fruit borer disease (Figure 5). In 2015,
however, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a ruling to ban further field
testing of the Bt talong amid fears of potential problems. Nevertheless, expert
academics both in the Philippines and worldwide maintain that GM crops that have
been approved are safe, having underwent through lab and field testing. These also
provide an alternative to the use of toxic and harmful pesticides.
Figure 7 Genetically Modified Eggplant
Recent Developments
One limitation of recombinant DNA technology using restriction enzymes is

that the composition of the donor DNA will depend on the region flanked by the
restriction sits. A whole segment of DNA will have to be inserted into the bacterial
plasmid. While this is useful if the DNA segment contains the gene of interest, this
method cannot be used if the researcher wants to modify or specify the actual
sequence of the DNA. Today, genome editing is now possible due to recent advances
such as the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. This genome editing technology was derived
from CRISPR/Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-
CRISPR Associated Systems), a natural defense mechanism of bacteria and
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archaeids against bacteriophages and plasmids of other prokaryotes. When a

bacterial cell is infected with a virus or when a plasmid is transferred from another
bacterium via conjugation, the viral DNA or plasmid is cut into fragments, some of
which get incorporated into the CRIPR locus of a bacterial chromosome. The inserted
fragmented is called a spacer. When the bacterium gets infected with the same virus
or plasmid, the CRSPR locus is expressed along with the spacers, which are
processed into CRSPR RNA (crRNA). A protein known as Cas9 binds with crRNA and
another RNA knowns as trans-activating CRISPR RNA (transcrRNA), forming a
complex. The complex scans DNA targets and destroys matching sequences by
cutting both strands of the target. Scientists have fused crRNA and tracrRNA into
one component known as single guide RNA (sgRNA). Plasmids or viral vectors
encoding Cas9 and sgRNA, whose sequence can be varied depending on the target
can be delivered to host cells for genome editing.
What’s More
ACTIVITY 2: Recombinant DNA Techniques
Instruction:
• You will create a model on the process of using restriction enzymes and
plasmids to form recombinant DNA.
• The cut out patterns will be provided and it will be attached to your module.
• Read and understand the procedure carefully.
Materials:
• Handout 1: Plasmid Base Sequence Strips

• Handout 2: DNA Base Sequence Strips
• Handout 3: Restriction Enzyme Sequence Cards
• Scissors
• Tape
• Pencil
• Paper
Procedure:
1. Cut out the plasmid strips along the dotted lines. Scheme the strips and
tape them together to form a single long strip. Always remember that the
letters should all be in the same direction when the strips are taped. The two
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ends of the strip should then be taped together with the genetic code facing
out to form a circular plasmid.
2. Cut out the DNA base sequence strips, and tape them together to form one
long strip. The pieces must be taped together in the order indicated at the
bottom of each strip.
3. Next, cut out the restriction enzyme cards. Point out that the enzyme cards
illustrate a short DNA sequence that shows the sequence that each
particular enzyme cuts.
4. Compare the sequence of base pairs on an enzyme card with the sequences
of the plasmid base pairs. If you find the same sequence of pairs on both the
enzyme card and the plasmid strip, then you should mark the location on
the plasmid with a pencil, and write the enzyme number in the marked area.
Do this for each enzyme card. You may wish to point out that some enzyme
sequences may not have a corresponding sequence on the plasmid, and that
some enzyme sequences may have more than one corresponding sequence
on the plasmid.
5. Once you have identified all corresponding enzyme sequences on the
plasmid, you have to identify those enzymes which cut the plasmid once and
only once. You should discard any enzymes that cut the plasmid in the
shaded plasmid replication sequence. You must record your findings on a
separate piece of paper.
6. Next, compare the enzymes you listed against the cell DNA strip. You have to
find any enzymes that will make two cuts in the DNA, one above the shaded
insulin gene sequence and one below the shaded insulin gene sequence.
Mark the areas on the DNA strip that each enzyme will cut.
7. After you have compared each enzyme with the DNA strip, select one enzyme
to use to make the cuts. Point out that the goal is to cut the DNA strand as
closely as possible to the insulin gene sequence without cutting into the gene
sequence. You have to make cuts on both the plasmid and the DNA strips.
Make the cuts in the staggered fashion indicated by the black line on the
enzyme card.
8. Lastly, tape the sticky ends (the staggered ends) of the plasmid to the sticky
ends of the insulin gene to create your recombinant DNA.
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Handout 1: Plasmid Base Sequence Strips
• Cut out strips along dotted lines.

• Tape together top to bottom in any order.
• Shaded region = plasmid replication site
35

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Handout 2: DNA Base Sequence Strips
• Cut out strips along dotted lines.

• Tape together top to bottom in numerical order.
• Shaded region = insulin gene site
36

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Handout 3: Restriction Enzyme Sequence Cards
• Cut out cards along dotted lines.

• Compare each enzyme sequence to the base sequences on the plasmid and
DNA strips.
37

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What I Have Learned
1. Recombinant DNA technology has been widely used in improving crop varieties.
Several genetically modified organisms have been produced. For example, the Bt
corn expresses a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, making them
resistant to the corn borer disease. The golden rice is engineered to produce beta
carotene. Soybean has also been engineered to have resistance against herbicides.
2. Recombinant bacterial cells with human genes can be used in order to produced
human proteins, like insulin and growth hormone. If larger quantities are required,
like in the case of some pharmaceutical products, the gene may be inserted to
animals. The transgenic animal would then produce these proteins throughout its
lifetime.
3. Some groups are concerned that the use of GM products would have negative
impacts on society, such as possible allergic reaction and the possible harmful
effects on the ecosystem. Although the
Philippines had been active in GM research and commercialization of GM crops, the
Supreme Court issued a ruling in 2015, banning further testing of the Bt talong
amid fears of potential problems. Yet the general safety approved GM products are
still maintained by academic experts.
4. The most recent development in genetic engineering involves the CRISPR/Cas

pathway. This pathway is a natural defense mechanism of prokaryotes against
bacteriophages. In the lab, this can be utilized in order to edit sequences within the
genome according to the researcher’s design.
What I Can Do
Activity 3: Discussion Questions
Instruction: Discuss your answer to the following questions below. Write your
answer/discussion on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Why was it important to find an enzyme that would cut the plasmid at only
one site? What could happen if the plasmid were cut at more than one site?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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2. Why was it important to discard any enzymes that cut the plasmid at the
replication site?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Why might it be important to cut the DNA strand as closely to the desired
gene as possible?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Assessment
Direction: Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. Which of the following enzymes in bacteria are responsible for restricting the
growth of viruses?
a. restriction endonuclease
b. topoisomerase
c. gyrase
d. protease
2. Which enzyme is used to join together two different types of DNA molecules?
a. ligase
b. endonuclease
c. exonuclease
d. protease
3. Recombinant plasmids are added to a bacterial culture that has been pretreated
with _________________ ions.
a. iodine
b. magnesium
c. calcium
d. ferric
4. Which of the following is not true about GMO?

a. used for improving crop varieties
b. it is also an example of recombinant DNA technology
c. can possess genes that may produced specific traits of interest.
d. None of the above
5. Which of the following is a correct statement of GMO?

a. Genetic modification is not limited to plants.
b. Genetic modification cannot produce human proteins.
c. Genetic modification may lead to harmful effects to all living organisms.
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d. All of the above
6. Genetic engineering is the artificial manipulation, modification, and

recombination of what class of naturally occurring chemical compound?
a. Proteins
b. Nucleic acid
c. Phosphates
d. Amino acids
7. In the modern era, the term genetic engineering refers specifically to which of the
following methods?
a. in vitro fertilization
b. genetic variation
c. recombinant DNA technology
d. artificial selection
8. In recombinant DNA technology, what molecule is the most commonly used DNA
vector (or carrier, used to insert foreign genetic material into an organism’s
genome)?
a. plasmid
b. gene
c. clone
d. cell
9. What type of organism was the first to be successfully modified via the
techniques of genetic engineering?
a. Virus
b. bacteria
c. plant
d. mouse
10. Which of the following is the primary method of genetic engineering that has
been studied in humans?
a. gene therapy
b. cloning
c. transformation
d. gene targeting
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Additional Activities
Activity 4. Create your own version of Genetically Modified Organism
Direction: Draw your desired GMO on a short bond paper. Write the features of
your GMO and state the reasons why did you create this kind of GMO. You may
add color to your GMO.
My Own Genetically Modified Organism
41

42
What I can Do
Activity 2
1. Cutting at only one site is important for controlling the variables that will be
reproduced. Then the restriction enzyme cut more than one site, then the
plasmid might recombine with different DNA fragments.
2. If the plasmid were cut at the replication site, it would not be able to
reproduce and transfer genetic information to its host bacterial cell.
3. To make sure that the desired information is transferred to the plasmid
without adding extra unknown or undesirable sequences.
Assessment
1. A
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. B
10.A
Lesson 2. Recombinant DNA Technology
Answer Key
lOMoARcPSD|44594353
lOMoARcPSD|44594353
References
Belardo, Millete M., Avissar, Yael, Choi, Jung, Desaix, Jean, Jurukovski, Vladimir,
Wise, Robert, Try, Connie. General Biology 2: Quezon City: Vinal Group Publishing
House, Inc., 2016, pages 69 - 73
Mader, Sylvia S. Essentials of Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill Publication

Companies, 2011, pages 180 - 187
Teachengineering.org. Accessed July 24, 2020.

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/uoh_genetic_lesson01
Yoshida, Masashi. Sites.Google.com. Accessed July 23, 2020.

https://sites.google.com/site/humantechnologyandethics/masashi-yoshida-
1/essay
Broeckhove, Jan. Researchgate.net. Accessed July 24, 2020.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-large-picture-shows-a-typical-tissue-of-
cells-The-zoomed-in-portion-details-the-cell_fig1_293440038
dc.edu.au. Accessed July 24, 2020. https://dc.edu.au/hsc-biology-blueprint-of-

life/
genome.com. Accessed July 25, 2020. https://www.genome.gov/genetics-

glossary/Gene
avma.com. Accessed July 25, 2020. https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2008-11-

01/genetically-engineered-animals-food-supply
Teachengineering.org. Accessed July 24, 2020.

https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/uoh_genetic_lesson01_activity1
Tulsi, Bernard, B. Labmanager.com. Accessed July 25, 2020.

https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/science-and-sustainability-
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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education - Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)
Ground Floor, Bonifacio Bldg., DepEd Complex

Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines 1600
Telefax: (632) 8634-1072; 8634-1054; 8631-4985
Email Address: blr.lrqad@deped.gov.ph * blr.lrpd@deped.gov.ph

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General Biology Module

Biological Psychology (Holy Angel University)

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Welcome to the General Biology II Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on

Notes to the Teacher

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For the learner:

Welcome to the General Biology II Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

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Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing this module.

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What I Need to Know

General Biology II Module is a Science, Technology Engineering and

These features, alongside the condensed and concise presentation of facts

The module is divided into 2 lessons, namely:

After going through this module, you are expected to:

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1. What is the structure of DNA?

2. A molecular technique in which DNA sequences between two oligonucleotide

3. The deliberate modifications of an organism's genetic information by directly

4. Charged molecules are separated based on varying rates of migration

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Figure 1 Typical tissue cell contains copy of

DNA can be transferred from one kind

Figure 2. These pigs’ glow from having received jellyfish bioluminescent

Our recent advance in DNA technology is the production of transgenic animals –

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The central dogma of molecular biology explains the flow of genetic

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Activity 1. DNA Paper Model Activity

3. Paste or tape the model together.

4. Put your name on your model.

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Figure 3. A DNA molecule (source: https://images.app.goo.gl/DjzD7XK5FqfmBR1B6)

Figure 4. Constructing a DNA ladder (source: https://images.app.goo.gl/TE6J7D4gb1GXkPm68)

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Cut out pattern