While investigating applications of science knowledge, Willy learned that scientists have used genetic engineering techniques to attach insulin-producing genes to bacterial DNA. These bacteria produce large amounts of scarce human hormones. Scientists predict that hormones produced by bacteria will be inexpensive and will not cause allergic reactions. (SC.7.N.1.5) Scientists developed hormone-producing bacteria because they wanted to

develop methodologies to increase the production of hormones for human use

Explanation:

Genetic engineering refers to the manipulation of an organism's genes by using recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques in order to develop biotechnological and biomedical applications. For this purpose, genetically engineered bacteria carrying recombinant human genes can be used for producing human hormones. For example, recombinant human insulin can be produced by using Escherichia coli strains, and this hormone can then be purified as genetically engineered bacteria grow in order to treat diabetic patients. For this purpose, a bacterial plasmid (i.e., an independent fragment of circular bacterial DNA) is cut with restriction enzymes and then the human gene encoding the hormone of interest is inserted into the plasmid. Finally, the genetically modified plasmid may be readily transferred to the bacterial chromosome and thus increase the supply of the hormone of interest for its use by humans.

a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.