# Explain why micro-organisms are used to produce medicines such as penicillin and insulin on a large scale, rather than obtaining these substances from other sources.

> WJEC GCSE Biology (Wales) — 2.7 Micro-organisms and their applications · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Micro-organisms reproduce rapidly / have a short generation time
2. Large quantities of the medicine/product can be produced in a relatively short time
3. Micro-organisms can be grown in fermenters/bioreactors using cheap nutrients/growth media
4. It would be difficult, unethical, or impractical to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source (e.g. extracting insulin from animal pancreases is limited / penicillin cannot be harvested in large enough amounts without the fungus)

## Key terms

- [micro-organisms](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/micro-organisms)
- [penicillin](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/penicillin)
- [insulin](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/insulin)
- [large scale](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/large-scale)

## Related

- [Revision notes for WJEC GCSE Biology (Wales)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/explain-why-micro-organisms-are-used-to-7b040742) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.