Evaluating Genetic Engineering & Selective Breeding Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

Give one benefit of producing painkillers from genetically modified yeast rather than extracting them from opium poppies.

Yeast grows rapidly, increasing the yield in a shorter time.
Accept: cheaper, takes up less space, not weather dependent.

Give one risk of producing painkillers from genetically modified yeast rather than extracting them from opium poppies.

The painkillers may not be identical or as effective.
Accept: the GM yeast could be used to manufacture drugs illegally, or GM organisms escaping into the environment.

Why are scientists genetically engineering animals for organ transplants?

There are not enough donors to meet the demand for organ transplants.

True or false? Genetic engineering can transfer a gene between different species, but selective breeding cannot.

True. Genetic engineering can put a gene from one species into another, e.g. the human insulin gene into bacteria; selective breeding only breeds organisms of the same species together.

Why are some crops genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicides?

So a field can be sprayed with weedkiller that kills the weeds but leaves the crop unharmed, giving a bigger crop yield.

Give one risk of growing herbicide-resistant GM crops.

The resistance gene could spread to wild plants or weeds, producing 'superweeds' that herbicides cannot kill.