Chapter 12 Study Set

Many people living in the United States have likely consumed some processed food that includes bioengineered plants

Almost every day

Transgenenic plants are generally different from traditional hybrid plants produced hundreds of years ago, because transgenic plants may

Contain genes from animals or bacteria

Marker-assisted breeding allows

Crop improvements without resorting to transgenic traits

People most about the side effects of bioengineering would more likely accept

Crops produced by conventional plant breeding methods or by marker-assisted breeding

The goals of biotechnology currently include

Growing crops that are more resistant to drought and disease.

Today, transgenic technology, although currently controversial

Has supported the use of no-till farming techniques that conserve soils by reducing erosion.

Despite potential problems, the general trend in the production and use of transgenic organisms in Europe, the United States, and the developing world is toward

Increased production of bioengineered foods and nonfood crops

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops into developing nations needs to be monitored because

Many GM seeds are more costly or require substantially greater costs to grow

Biotechnology may be able to promote sustainability by

Reducing the use of pesticides

One of the general concerns about the widespread use of transgenic organisms is the

Spread of these transgenic traits to other organisms

Roundup Ready corn is resistant to the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate). One of the greatest concerns about this transgenic Roundup Ready corn is the

Transfer of herbicide resistance to related weeds that commonly infect corn fields.

Advocates of the Precautionary Principle as it applies to biosafety of GM organisms feel that

if there is the possibility of negative consequences, selling GM crop products should not be encouraged

Globally, genetically modified crops are being used

increasingly in developing and developed nations.

One ongoing concern about transgenic crops that produce pesticides is that this trait may

kill other insects that are not pests

Food safety issues of transgenic crops include

the promotion of antibiotic resistance in pathogens and new allergenic properties in crops