Which of the following is a medical use of transgenic organisms?

Which of the following is a medical use of transgenic organisms?

• A. Producing human insulin in bacteria
• B. Producing yogurt
• C. Producing plastics
• D. Producing biodiesel

Answer: (A)

Using transgenic organisms for medicine means producing human therapeutic proteins in microorganisms. A classic example is making human insulin in bacteria. By inserting the human insulin gene into bacterial DNA, the bacteria can produce insulin that is then purified and used to treat diabetes. This application directly provides a medical treatment, which is why it’s considered a medical use of transgenic organisms. The other options involve applications that are not medical therapies: yogurt production is food fermentation, plastics production is for making polymer materials, and biodiesel is a fuel source. So, producing human insulin in bacteria best represents a medical use of transgenic organisms.

Using transgenic organisms for medicine means producing human therapeutic proteins in microorganisms. A classic example is making human insulin in bacteria. By inserting the human insulin gene into bacterial DNA, the bacteria can produce insulin that is then purified and used to treat diabetes. This application directly provides a medical treatment, which is why it’s considered a medical use of transgenic organisms.

The other options involve applications that are not medical therapies: yogurt production is food fermentation, plastics production is for making polymer materials, and biodiesel is a fuel source. So, producing human insulin in bacteria best represents a medical use of transgenic organisms.