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Subjects · Leaving Cert Biology

Leaving Cert Biology: Genetic engineering

How often Genetic engineering comes up on the Biology papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 4 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024.

OL Asked on 2 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2022.

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Biology course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Genetic engineering, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Genetic engineering.

(a)Enzyme that joins DNA fragments?
  1. Restriction enzyme
  2. DNA ligase
  3. DNA polymerase
(b)Small circle of bacterial DNA used as a vector?
  1. Chromatid
  2. Ribosome
  3. Plasmid
(c)Enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific base sequence?
  1. Restriction enzyme
  2. DNA polymerase
  3. The DNA ligase enzyme
Show the answers

(a) DNA ligase

(b) Plasmid

(c) Restriction enzyme

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Genetic engineering.

Higher Level

Asked on 4 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024Q7
2023Q16
2022Not asked
2021Q12
2019Not asked
2018Q4
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Genetic engineering questions

Genetic engineering, 2 marks

Short single strands of DNA that bind either side of the target sequence in PCR?

  1. Plasmids
  2. Codons
  3. Primers
Show the answer

Primers

Primers mark the start and end of the section to be copied, so only that sequence is amplified.

Genetic engineering, 2 marks

In gel electrophoresis, DNA fragments move towards the?

  1. Wells
  2. Positive electrode
  3. Negative electrode
Show the answer

Positive electrode

DNA is negatively charged, so it moves towards the positive electrode. Smaller fragments move further through the gel.

Genetic engineering, 2 marks

Working out the order of bases in a DNA molecule?

  1. DNA sequencing
  2. DNA profiling
  3. PCR
Show the answer

DNA sequencing

Fragments each one nucleotide shorter than the next are separated on a gel, and the base at the end of each is read off in order.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 2 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2022.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Not asked
2022Q17
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Not asked
2017Q3
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Genetic engineering questions

Genetic engineering, 2 marks

Taking a gene from one organism and putting it into another is called?

  1. Natural selection
  2. Tissue culture
  3. Genetic engineering
Show the answer

Genetic engineering

Also called recombinant DNA technology. The gene is cut out, put into a vector and transferred into the new cell.

Genetic engineering, 3 marks

Which human hormone is made by genetically engineered bacteria?

  1. Thyroxine
  2. Insulin
  3. Adrenaline
Show the answer

Insulin

The human insulin gene is put into bacteria, which then make insulin for people with diabetes. It is pure and no animals are needed.

Genetic engineering, 2 marks

What is the first step in genetic engineering?

  1. Isolating the DNA
  2. Expression
  3. Transformation
Show the answer

Isolating the DNA

Isolation → cutting with restriction enzymes → ligation → transformation and expression.

Other Biology topics

All of Leaving Cert Biology