Biotechnology Flashcards
What are the advantages of tissue culture?
Desirable traits selected in a lab rather than field/greenhouse - cheaper
What types of tissue culturing are there?
Protoplasm fusion (somatic hybrids) Culturing protoplasts (clonal hybrids) Stressing protoplasts (like plant breeding)
What are the four recombinant DNA techniques?
Agrobacterium based - bacterium that causes crown gall disease in plants
Particle acceleration - DNA coated particles fired into grown tissue
Electroporation - current used to alter protoplasts membranes permitting DNA uptake
Microinjection - direct injection into cytoplasm or nucleus
How much hectares of GM crops are grown globally? Where? And what types?
200 million hectares
U.S., Canada, Australia and brazil
Soybean, maize, cotton and rapeseed
What are the main traits found in genetically engineered plants?
Herbicide tolerance (70%) Insect resistance (22%) Combinations (8%)
What are lectins?
Sugar binding proteins that affect fecundity and development
Some toxicity to Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera
Name some proteins currently under evaluation?
Lectins Proteases Oxygenases Chitinases Amylases
What are the advantages of genetically engineered crops excluding pest resistant strains?
Higher yield
Vaccine delivery system
Nitrogen fixing cereal crops
What are the advantages of pest control GM crops?
Reduced pesticide use
Improved survival of beneficial species
What are the potential disadvantages of GM crops?
Toxicity to non targets Invasiveness of plants Invasiveness of transgenes Toxicity of transgenes to humans Resistance development
What are the EU labelling regulations?
Approved products
>0.9% must be labelled
0.5% product banned
What is biotechnology?
Industrial activity involving living organisms
Eg. Beer production
