GMOs And Human Population Growth Flashcards
what is one reason as to why people might want to genetically engineer crops and why
- to make them more resistant to insect pests
- this would increase crop yields and reduce the need for chemical pesticides
what is an example of how genetic engineering can be used to increase the resistant of plants towards insects
- the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis (bt) produces a toxin that kills many insect larvae that are harmful to crops
- the gene for bt is inserted into crops such as corn and cotton
- causing them to produce the toxin in their stem and leaves
- making them resistant to the insect pests
what is an advantage of the way genetic engineering is used to cause plants to produce toxins against insect pests
it is harmless against animals, humans and other insects
what is a disadvantage of the way genetic engineering is used to cause plants to produce toxins against insect pests
the long term effects of exposure to bt crops arent yet known
why do farmers frequently change the insecticide or toxin they use against insect pests
- the insects that feed on the crops are constantly exposed to the toxin
- so there is a danger that they might develop resistance to it and no longer be killed by it
- so farmers try to avoid this by using other insecticides
what does it mean for food production if the world population is rising quickly
- global food production must increase too
- so that we have access to enough food that is safe for us to eat and has the right balance of nutrition
- this is known as food security
why would GM crops be able to help increase food prodcution
- crops can be genetically modified to be resistant to pests
- or grow better in drought conditions
- these can help improve crop yield
what is an example of how crops can be engineered to combat certain deficiency diseases
golden rice has been genetically engineered to produce a chemical that is converted in the body to vitamin A
what is an argument towards, specifically, the production of GMOs in order to increase the amount of food available
- many people argue that people are hungry because they cant afford food, not because there isnt enough
- so they argue that you need to tackle poverty frst
what is a fear that some people have towards the economic power of GMOs
some fear that countries may become dependent on companies who sell GM seeds
what is an argument to the production of GMOs when the environment is taken into consideration
- sometimes poor soil is the reason why crops fail
- and even GM crops wont survive either
- so they arent any more special than normal crops when it comes to their flexibility
what is the best way to increase yield without having to use GMOs
using fertilisers if soils are poor
what are fertilisers and what do they do
- they are substances that contain minerals that are essential for plant growth
- such as nitrates and phosphates
- they replace the nutrients that have been lost from the soils from previous crops
what is a danger that comes with using fertilisers
excess fertilisers can cause problems in rivers and lakes through the process of eutrophication
how can pests be controlled without the use of GM crops or chemical pesticides
- biological control methods use other organisms to reduce pest numbers
- such as predators and parasites
- for example, cane toads were introduced into Australia to eat beetles that were damaging crops
