Genetically modified organisms
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| genetically modified organism/dʒɪˈnetɪkli ˈmɒdɪfaɪd ˈɔːɡənɪzəm/ | An organism whose genetic material has been deliberately altered using genetic-engineering techniques. |
| herbicide/ˈhɜːbɪsaɪd/ | Chemicals used to kill or control unwanted plants. |
| pest/pest/ | An organism that damages crops, stored products or other resources valued by people. |
| vector/ˈvektə/ | An organism or carrier that transfers a pathogen or genetic material to another cell or organism. |
GMOs in agriculture
- Genetic engineering can help feed a growing world.
- Genetically modified organisms 转基因生物 (GMOs) are crops and animals with added genes.
- But they raise their own ethical questions.
An organism whose genes have been deliberately changed, often with a gene from another species, is a genetically ______ organism.
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A GMO carries a gene added by genetic engineering.
Examples
- GM salmon that grow to size faster.
- soybean made resistant to a herbicide 除草剂, so weeds can be sprayed without harming the crop.
- cotton made resistant to insect pests 害虫 — it makes a protein that kills the insects.
Insect-resistant GM cotton works because it:
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The engineered cotton produces a protein toxic to insect pests, protecting the crop.
Herbicide-resistant GM soybean is useful because:
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The soybean survives the herbicide, so farmers can spray weeds without damaging the crop.
Match each GM organism to what it does.
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Each is given one new gene for a useful trait — pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, a vitamin, or a human protein.
Ethical and social questions
- Are GMOs safe to eat?
- What is their effect on the environment and wild species?
- Might the engineered genes spread?
- Should a few large companies control the food supply?
Which is an ethical or social concern about GMOs?
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Concerns include food safety, environmental effects, gene spread, and corporate control of the food supply.
Using GMOs in farming raises ethical and social questions as well as offering benefits.
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GMOs can boost food production but raise questions about safety, the environment, gene spread and control.
How a GMO is made
- A useful gene is cut out and inserted into the organism using a vector 媒介 (often a plasmid or virus).
- The modified organism then expresses the new gene and makes the desired product.
How a GMO is made
Step through it — the same recombinant-DNA toolkit, now used to give a crop or microbe a brand-new useful gene.
Put the making of a GM organism in order.
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It is the same recombinant-DNA toolkit: choose → isolate → vector → host → grow.
You've got it
- GMOs = organisms with engineered genes, to improve crops and animals
- examples: faster-growing GM salmon, herbicide-resistant soybean, insect-resistant cotton
- ethical questions: food safety, environment, gene spread, and company control of the food supply