Genetic modification
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| genetic modification | 基因改造 | jī yīn gǎi zào |
| GM crops | 转基因作物 | zhuǎn jī yīn zuò wù |
| pest-resistant | 抗虫的 | kàng chóng de |
Rewriting the code of life
- Modern biotechnology can move a gene from one organism into another.
- This genetic modification 基因改造 already makes life-saving medicines and improved crops.
In genetic modification, a useful gene is cut out using:
Enzymes cut the gene from the DNA.
In GM, a useful ______ is moved from one organism into another.
A single chosen gene is transferred.
How GM is done
- A useful gene is cut out of one organism's DNA using enzymes.
- It is inserted into another organism (often bacteria), which then makes the useful product.
Yeast makes ethanol (a biofuel) and carbon dioxide (which makes bread rise)
Genetic modification
A useful gene from one organism is put into another so it makes a wanted product.
GM bacteria are widely used to make:
GM bacteria make insulin for diabetics.
Making medicines
- GM bacteria make human insulin for people with diabetes — fast, cheap and in large amounts.
- Before GM, insulin had to be extracted from animals.
GM crops can be made to be: (Select all that apply.)
GM improves crops; it would not make them unable to grow.
Genetic modification changes an organism faster and more precisely than selective breeding.
GM inserts one chosen gene directly.
GM crops 转基因作物
- GM crops can be made pest-resistant 抗虫的, higher-yielding, or richer in vitamins.
- Concerns include effects on wildlife and the spread of modified genes.
GM is precise; selective breeding is not. GM inserts a single chosen gene directly, so the change is fast and exact. Selective breeding mixes all the parents' genes over many generations. Both change organisms, by very different routes.
You've got it
- genetic modification cuts a useful gene and inserts it into another organism
- GM bacteria make human insulin quickly and cheaply
- GM crops can be pest-resistant or higher-yielding; concerns remain about wildlife and gene spread