How do we use our knowledge of DNA in forensics, medicine, and agriculture, and what concerns does that raise?
Describe the uses and ethical considerations of biotechnology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture, including genetic engineering, GMOs, gene therapy, cloning, and DNA fingerprinting (GSE SB2.c).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on biotechnology: genetic engineering and GMOs, gene therapy, cloning, stem cells, DNA fingerprinting and PCR/gel electrophoresis, their uses in forensics, medicine, and agriculture, and the ethical questions they raise.
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What this topic is asking
Standard SB2.c asks you to describe the uses and ethical considerations of biotechnology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture. For the Georgia Milestones Biology EOC you must recognize the main techniques (genetic engineering and GMOs, gene therapy, cloning, stem cells, DNA fingerprinting), match each to an application, and discuss at least one ethical concern. Items often describe an application and ask you to name the technique or weigh a benefit against a risk.
The main techniques
Know each technique and a typical use:
- Genetic engineering / GMOs. A gene is moved from one organism into another, giving it a new trait. The result is a genetically modified organism (GMO). Examples: crops engineered for pest resistance or higher vitamin content; bacteria engineered to produce human insulin.
- Gene therapy. A working copy of a gene is added to a patient's cells to treat a genetic disorder caused by a faulty gene.
- Cloning. Producing a genetically identical copy of a cell or organism (for example, Dolly the sheep, or cloning a useful plant).
- Stem cells. Unspecialized cells that can develop into many cell types; used in research and potential therapies to replace damaged tissue.
- DNA fingerprinting (profiling). Comparing DNA patterns between samples. PCR copies tiny amounts of DNA, and gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments by size to produce a pattern that is essentially unique to each person.
Applications by field
The standard names three fields, so organize the uses:
- Forensics. DNA fingerprinting links a suspect (or victim) to a crime scene by matching DNA patterns, and is also used in paternity testing and identifying remains.
- Medicine. Genetic engineering of bacteria to make medicines (insulin, vaccines), gene therapy for genetic disorders, stem cell therapies, and genetic testing for inherited risk.
- Agriculture. GMO crops and livestock with traits like pest resistance, drought tolerance, faster growth, or improved nutrition.
The ethical considerations
How the Milestones examines this topic
- Selected-response. Identify the technique from a described application (a gene moved into a crop is genetic engineering; copying an organism is cloning).
- Multiple-select. Choose all the valid uses or all the ethical concerns of a technique.
- Constructed-style (2-point TEI). Explain a benefit of a technique and a concern it raises.
Try this
Q1. Name the biotechnology technique used to compare DNA patterns in a forensic case. [1 point]
- Cue. DNA fingerprinting (DNA profiling), using gel electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments.
Q2. State one benefit and one ethical concern of genetically modified crops. [2 points]
- Cue. Benefit: traits like pest resistance or higher nutrition that improve yield or health. Concern: uncertain environmental effects, the need for labeling, or effects on other organisms.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of GaDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Milestones (style)1 marksA crop plant is given a gene from a bacterium that makes it resistant to insects. This is an example of: (A) natural selection (B) genetic engineering (C) cloning (D) gene therapyShow worked answer →
A 1-point selected-response item on identifying a biotechnology.
The correct answer is B. Genetic engineering is the deliberate transfer of a gene from one organism into another to give it a new trait, producing a genetically modified organism (GMO). Natural selection (A) is an evolutionary process, not a laboratory technique. Cloning (C) makes a genetic copy of an organism, and gene therapy (D) treats a disorder by adding a working gene to a patient's cells. Moving a gene into a crop to add a trait is genetic engineering.
Milestones (style)2 marksDNA fingerprinting is used in a forensic case. Explain how it can link a suspect to a crime scene, and state one ethical concern about storing people's DNA profiles.Show worked answer →
A 2-point item on a forensic application and its ethics.
DNA fingerprinting compares DNA patterns (from gel electrophoresis of DNA fragments) between a sample from the crime scene and a sample from a suspect; because each person's DNA pattern is essentially unique (except identical twins), a match strongly links that person to the sample. One reasonable ethical concern is privacy: storing DNA profiles in a database could let the information be misused, accessed without consent, or used to discriminate (for example by insurers or employers). Full points need the comparison-and-match idea and a valid ethical concern such as privacy or misuse.
Related dot points
- Explain how genetic information is expressed through transcription (DNA to mRNA) and translation (mRNA to protein), including the roles of mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes, codons, and the genetic code (GSE SB2.a).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on protein synthesis: transcription of DNA into mRNA, translation of mRNA into a protein, the roles of mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes, and codons, and how to read the genetic code from a codon chart.
- Describe the structure of DNA and RNA, including the double helix, nucleotides, and complementary base pairing, and compare DNA and RNA (GSE SB2.a).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on the structure of DNA and RNA: the double helix, nucleotides (sugar, phosphate, base), complementary base pairing (A-T, C-G, A-U), the antiparallel strands, and the key differences between DNA and RNA.
- Construct an argument that mutations (changes in DNA sequence and chromosomal alterations) may result in phenotypic variation, and classify gene mutations as beneficial, harmful, or neutral (GSE SB2.b).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on mutations: point mutations (substitution, insertion, deletion), frameshift effects, chromosomal mutations, causes (mutagens and replication errors), and how mutations can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral sources of variation.
- Use mathematical models to predict and explain patterns of inheritance beyond simple dominance, including incomplete dominance, codominance, and multiple alleles (such as ABO blood type) (GSE SB3.b).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on non-Mendelian inheritance: incomplete dominance (blended phenotype), codominance (both alleles shown), and multiple alleles with the ABO blood type system, including how to work out blood-type crosses.
- Evaluate the impact of human activities on ecosystems (habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, climate change) and design solutions to reduce that impact (GSE SB5.c, SB5.e).
A Georgia Milestones Biology EOC answer on human impact: habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and climate change, their effects on biodiversity and ecosystem stability, and conservation solutions to reduce the impact.
Sources & how we know this
- Biology Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) — Georgia Department of Education (2024)
- Georgia Milestones Biology EOC Assessment Guide — Georgia Department of Education (2024)