Genetically modified organisms
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| genetically modified organism | 转基因生物 | zhuǎn jī yīn shēng wù |
| herbicide | 除草剂 | chú cǎo jì |
| pest | 害虫 | hài chóng |
| vector | 媒介 | méi jiè |
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.
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:
The engineered cotton produces a protein toxic to insect pests, protecting the crop.
Herbicide-resistant GM soybean is useful because:
The soybean survives the herbicide, so farmers can spray weeds without damaging the crop.
Match each GM organism to what it does.
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?
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.
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.
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