Genetically Modified Crops

Question 1

What can farmers control by means of artificial selection?

Answer 1

• the reproduction of their plants
• so that each new generation has as many of the parents’ beneficial genes as possible

Question 2

What have been some of the benefits of selective breeding?

Answer 2

• the yield of the major cereal crops has been increased
• crops have become more resistant to disease
• the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has been enhanced

Question 3

What is transformation in relation to genetic modification?

Answer 3

• the change in a cell or organism brought about by the uptake of introduced foreign DNA

Question 4

What is the problem with conventional plant breeding methods in terms of time?

Answer 4

• they can be slow and unpredictable

Question 5

How does genetic engineering combat the problems relating to conventional plant breeding methods and time?

Answer 5

• the exact trait can be created in one generation with great accuracy

Question 6

What is the problem with conventional plant breeding methods in terms of relation?

Answer 6

• conventional plant breeding can only combine closely related plants

Question 7

How does genetic engineering combat the problems relating to conventional plant breeding methods and relation?

Answer 7

• genetic engineering of plants enables scientists to take any gene from any living organism and introduce it into a plant

Question 8

What is a transgenic organism?

Answer 8

• an organism that develops from a cell with recombinant DNA

Question 9

What is a transgene?

Answer 9

• the inserted gene in a genetically modified organism

Question 10

What does transgenic technology enable plant breeders to do?

Answer 10

• to identify and isolate genes that control a specific trait from a wide range of living resources
• and artificially insert them into other organisms which will then have the required traits
• enabling plant breeders to generate more useful and productive crop varieties

Question 11

What are the 2 main methods of transforming plant cells and tissues?

Answer 11

1. the ‘gene gun’ method
2. recombinant DNA techniques

Question 12

How does the ‘gene gun’ method work?

Answer 12

• pellets of metal coated with the desirable DNA are fired into plant cells
• those cells that take up the DNA may be clones and then allowed to grow into new plants
• producing vast numbers of genetically identical crop plants

Question 13

How are polyploidy plants advanced through biotechnology?

Answer 13

• larger flowers
• larger fruits
• larger storage organs
• seedless fruits
• resistance to disease