Genetically Modified Plants Can Improve Food Production Flashcards
1) What can can be genetically modified to?
Increase food production in lots of different ways
1) what is one way you can do this?
Make them resistant to insects, or make the resistant to herbicides (chemicals that kill plants)
2) what does making crops insect-resistant mean for farmers?
Farmers don’t have to spray as many pesticides so wildlife that doesn’t eat the crop isn’t harmed
Increases crop yield, making more food
3) what does making crops herbicide-resistant mean?
Farmers can spray their crops to kill weeds, without affecting the crop itself. Increase crop yield
4) what is one concern about growing genetically modified crops?
Transplanted genes may get out into the environment
4) what is another concern about growing genetically modified crops?
They could adversely affect food chains - or even human health
5) why are some people against genetic engineering altogether?
They worry that changing an organisms genes might create unforeseen problems that could get passed on to future generations