Four plants are described. A tomato from a cross between two varieties of tomato…
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Four plants are described.
(1) A tomato from a cross between two varieties of tomato.
(2) A cotton plant that carries a gene from a soil bacterium.
(3) A rice plant that carries genes of a pathway that makes beta-carotene.
(4) A maize hybrid from two inbred lines.
- Which of the plants are GM plants?
- Which are transgenic? Explain what the word means.
- Which are hybrids?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant, bacterium, fungus or animal whose genes have been altered by manipulation. Genetic modification has made crops tolerant to cold, drought, salt and heat. It has reduced the use of chemical pesticides and the losses after harvest. It has improved the use of minerals and raised the nutritional value of food. Money saved is the number of sprays saved times the cost of one spray, less any extra cost of seed.
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) Plants (2) and (3) got genes by gene transfer, so they are GM plants.
Step 2. (b) Plants (2) and (3) are also transgenic: they carry a transgene from another species. A GM plant is not always transgenic, because a gene of the plant itself may be changed or switched off.
Step 3. (c) Plants (1) and (4) are hybrids, made by crosses. They have no foreign gene.
Answer: (a) 2 and 3; (b) 2 and 3, which carry a gene from another species; (c) 1 and 4.
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