Biotechnology Vocabulary Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on biotechnology vocabulary: genes, DNA, cells, enzymes and laboratory terms. B1–B2 level.
Keep building your biotechnology vocabulary.
Biotechnology Vocabulary — FAQ
DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, the long molecule found in the cells of almost every living organism. It carries the genetic instructions that tell cells how to grow, function and reproduce, rather like a recipe book written in a chemical code. The code is made from four chemical 'letters' (A, T, C and G) whose order spells out the information needed to build and run an organism.
A gene is a short section of DNA that carries the instructions for one particular characteristic or protein, such as eye colour or a single enzyme. A genome is the complete set of genetic material in an organism, meaning all of its genes plus the DNA between them. In short, a gene is one entry in the book, while the genome is the whole book from cover to cover.
An enzyme is a protein that speeds up a biochemical reaction without being used up or changed permanently itself. Enzymes act as biological catalysts, allowing reactions that would otherwise be far too slow to happen quickly enough to keep an organism alive. Each enzyme usually works on a specific substance, which is why your body makes thousands of different enzymes for digestion, energy and repair.
Genetic engineering is the deliberate changing of an organism's DNA in the laboratory, for example by adding, removing or editing a gene. Scientists use it to give organisms useful new traits, such as bacteria that produce insulin or crops that resist pests. The techniques are powerful and widely used in medicine and agriculture, though they also raise ethical and safety questions that societies continue to debate.
GMO stands for genetically modified organism, meaning a living thing whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering rather than ordinary breeding. Common examples include crops modified to resist insects or to tolerate certain weedkillers. Supporters argue GMOs can raise yields and reduce pesticide use, while critics raise concerns about environmental effects and labelling, so rules vary widely between countries.
Cloning is the process of producing one or more genetically identical copies of a cell, a piece of DNA or a whole organism. Famous examples include Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, in 1996. Cloning happens naturally too, as when bacteria divide or identical twins form, but in biotechnology it usually means copies created deliberately in the laboratory.
Fermentation is a process in which microbes such as yeast or bacteria break down sugars to release energy, often producing alcohol, acids or gases as by-products. People have used it for thousands of years to make bread, beer, wine, cheese and yoghurt. In modern biotechnology, large fermentation tanks grow microbes on an industrial scale to produce medicines, vitamins and other useful substances.
PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction, a laboratory technique that makes millions of copies of a chosen segment of DNA from a tiny starting sample. By repeatedly heating and cooling the sample with an enzyme, scientists can amplify the DNA until there is enough to study. PCR is essential for genetic testing, medical diagnosis and forensic science, and it became widely known through tests for viral infections.
Bacteria are tiny single-celled living organisms that can grow and reproduce on their own, and many are harmless or even helpful. A virus is far smaller and is not a complete cell; it cannot reproduce by itself and must hijack the cells of a host to make copies of itself. This difference matters in medicine, because antibiotics work against many bacteria but have no effect on viruses.
A cell culture is a population of living cells grown and kept under controlled conditions outside their original organism, usually in a dish or flask in the laboratory. Scientists feed the cells a nutrient liquid and keep them warm so they multiply, allowing experiments without using whole animals or people. Cell cultures are vital for testing drugs, studying diseases and producing vaccines and other biological products.