A company has a new GM crop and wants to sell its seed as soon as it can…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A company has a new GM crop and wants to sell its seed as soon as it can. A farmers' group asks that someone check it first.
- Give the reason that NCERT gives for regulating the manipulation of living organisms.
- Name the Indian body that decides on the validity of GM research.
- What second matter does this body decide?
- Why is the word "unpredictable" important in the argument?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
The manipulation of living organisms needs rules. GM organisms could have unpredictable results when they are introduced into the ecosystem. The Indian Government set up the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which decides on the validity of GM research and on the safety of introducing GM organisms for public services. A model of gene flow says that the share of pollen from a GM field falls with distance. A model of resistance says that a refuge, where the pest is not selected, slows the rise of a resistance allele.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) The manipulation of living organisms by humans cannot go on without regulation. Ethical standards are needed to judge what helps or harms living organisms. GM organisms could have unpredictable results in the ecosystem.
Step 2. (b) The GEAC, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.
Step 3. (c) The safety of introducing GM organisms for public services, such as food and medicine.
Step 4. (d) If the results were certain, a maker could say what will happen. Because they could be unpredictable, an independent check is needed before the organism is released.
Answer: (a) regulation, ethics and unpredictable results; (b) GEAC; (c) the safety of release for public services; (d) the results cannot be known in advance.
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