4.5

Question 0

Intensive farming requires the application of considerable amounts of nitrogen fertiliser, which contributes strongly towards

Answer 0

Global warming

Question 1

Genetic engineering can be used to produce varieties of crops that are resistant to natural disasters (droughts/floods) thereby reducing world

Answer 1

Hunger

Question 2

Genetic engineers are researching the production of crops that do not need fertilisers, by transferring genes for

Answer 2

Nitrogen fixation into various crop species

Question 3

Gene for disease resistance can also be added to crops, to reduce the need for

Answer 3

Herbicides and pesticides

Question 4

Many people think that genetic engineering is little different from selective breeding, except they it is a more

Answer 4

Predictable and rapid process

Question 5

Although GE involves transferring genes from 1 species to another, they point out that different species share a large proportion of

Answer 5

Genes anyway

Question 6

People who oppose GE argue that we cannot be sure that there are no

Answer 6

Long term health risks

Question 7

(Oppose) when a new gene is inserted it may disrupt a regulatory gene, and may lead to genes that are not normally active being expressed. This could have

Answer 7

Unknown effects

Question 8

(Oppose) concerns that genes may spread from one species to another, e.g. Pollen of GM crops could transfer the gene to non-GM varieties or even weed species. Creating:

Answer 8

Super weeds

Question 9

Biotechnology companies have attempted to overcome the spread of genes from one species to another by inserting ‘terminator’ genes into GM crop plants. Which means that GM crops would produce:

Answer 9

Sterile seeds

Question 10

(Oppose) production of GMOs mainly increases profits for the large biotechnology companies, without significant benefits for the consumer. They argue that the ‘terminator’ technology increases profits as farmers have to

Answer 10

Buy new seeds every year

Question 11

(Oppose) believe that GE is very different in ethical terms from selective breeding we it transfers genes from one species to another, rather than from

Answer 11

One member of a species to another

Question 12

(Oppose) also believe that GE is different from selective breeding as it is

Answer 12

Irreversible - once gene is transferred it is very difficult to remove

Question 13

(sanctity of species)some people argue that it is morally wrong to produce GM organisms that contain genes from other organism. This is why GE is

Answer 13

Tightly regulated and there’s an international agreement that human cells should not be modified

Question 14

(sanctity of species) human cells should not be modified because we do not wish to introduce new genes into
The human

Answer 14

Genetic line

Question 15

(sanctity of species)many people feel that if it is important to keep the human genetic line unaltered, then we should treat other living organisms in the same

Answer 15

Way

Question 16

(sanctity of species) others argue that we have already altered the genome of many species through selective breeding. In this case we have selected genes that are already present in the species rather than

Answer 16

Introducing new ones

Question 17

(sanctity of species) GM crops are made to be sterile so that they cannot interbreed with wild relatives and

Answer 17

Transfer their genes

Question 18

(sanctity of species) GM bacteria are developed so they they could not survive it they

Answer 18

Escaped from the lab

Question 19

(Big business) developing GMOs costs a great deal of money in research and development. Most of the are paid by private biotechnology companies who therefore expect to make a

Answer 19

Profit out of their investment

Question 20

(Big business) when biotechnology companies develop new GM crop variety, for example, they patent it which means that nobody can use this variety unless

Answer 20

They pay a fee to the company who first developed it

Question 21

(Big business) biotechnology companies say they patents encourage them to invest in research and development, as it guarantees them a

Answer 21

Fair financial return

Question 22

(Big business) UK patent = 20 years. In return the holder of the patent has to publish

Answer 22

Details of their invention so that others can learn from it

Question 23

(Big business) people who oppose GE argue they we should not patent genes or crop varieties. They argue they major biotechnology companies have too much control over farming and the food supply of other countries. If farmers in poorer countries become dependent on GM crops, which could be withdrawn later, this could lead to

Answer 23

Mass starvation and major political problems