Unit 4: Agriculture - Manipulation of Food Species (Genetic Engineering and Transgenics)
- Created by: rosieevie
- Created on: 15-05-15 17:23
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- Manipulation of Food Species - Genetic Engineering/ Transgenics/ GM Crops
- Genetic Engineering - altering an organism's genes by artificially introducing genes from another organism
- Transgenics - process of transferring genetic material from one organism to another species
- Horizontal gene transfer - transfer of genes without breeding
- Aims
- Increase growth and yield
- Reduce pesticide and water use
- Make plants growable in unproductive farmland or climates
- Increase nutritional quality e.g. golden rice - vitamin A
- Improve flavour and appearance
- Increase qualities for harvest, shipping and storage
- Advantages
- Single characteristics introduced without selective breeding
- Allow desirable genes to be introduced from other species
- Pest-resistant crops mean reduced pesticide use - decreases environmental impacts
- No current evidence of harm to humans
- Disadvantages
- Some claims of food-related allergies from GM crops
- Horizontal gene transfer for antibiotic resistance from bacteria in crops to pathogens, causing superbugs
- Pollen may transfer herbicide resistance to weeds
- Pollen from GM BT corn is toxic when blown onto wild plant leaves that are eaten
- Initial high yield may not be maintained
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