CB4 Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering

Question 1

What are 3 examples of desirable characteristics that are selectively bred in farmed animals?

Answer 1

High yield of product (e.g. meat, milk), good temperament, faster growth

Question 2

What are 3 examples of desirable characteristics that are selectively bred in farmed plants / crops?

Answer 2

High yield of product, disease resistance, faster growth

Question 3

What are the 3 steps of selective breeding?

Answer 3

Select organisms with desirable characteristics, breed the selected organisms, repeat over many generations

Question 4

What is the effect of selective breeding on the population of organisms?

Answer 4

An increase in the proportion of organisms that have the desirable characteristic.

Question 5

What are 3 advantages of selective breeding?

Answer 5

High yield, disease resistance, domestication of animals

Question 6

What are 2 disadvantages of selective breeding?

Answer 6

Reduces genetic variation, inbreeding

Question 7

What is the negative outcome of inbreeding?

Answer 7

An increase in the probability of inheriting recessive alleles that cause genetic disorders.

Question 8

What is genetic engineering?

Answer 8

Cutting a gene out of one organism’s genome and putting it into another organism

Question 9

Give an example of a use of genetic engineering in farming

Answer 9

Add resistance to herbicides so that fields can be sprayed with herbicides that kill all other plants and weeds

Question 10

Give an example of a use of genetic engineering in medicine

Answer 10

Bacteria can be genetically engineered to produce insulin for use by diabetics

Question 11

What are the 2 main concerns about genetic engineering?

Answer 11

The inserted genes will get out into the environment and we cannot predict the effects of eating genetically engineered crops or livestock