All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is genetic engineering in the context of trait selection technologies?
Answer: Directly changing an organism’s DNA to add, remove, or alter traits. Scientists modify DNA sequences to introduce new traits or remove unwanted ones.
Flashcard 2: What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)?
Answer: An organism whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering. Scientists have modified its genetic code through laboratory techniques.
Flashcard 3: What is one major biological risk of selective breeding in a population over many generations?
Answer: Reduced genetic diversity. Breeding similar individuals reduces the variety of alleles in the gene pool.
Flashcard 4: What is inbreeding depression most directly caused by in selective breeding programs?
Answer: Increased expression of harmful recessive alleles. Related parents share harmful alleles that become homozygous in offspring.
Flashcard 5: Which impact is an example of a benefit of trait selection in crops?
Answer: Higher yield or improved resistance to pests or disease. Modified traits help crops produce more food or survive threats.
Flashcard 6: Which impact is an example of a benefit of trait selection in livestock?
Answer: Improved growth rate or increased milk or egg production. Selected traits increase productivity in farm animals.
Flashcard 7: What is a possible ecological risk if a genetically modified trait spreads to wild relatives?
Answer: Gene flow that can change wild populations and ecosystems. Modified genes could spread to native species through reproduction.
Flashcard 8: What is pesticide or herbicide resistance in pests or weeds most likely to result from?
Answer: Strong selection pressure favoring resistant individuals. Chemicals kill susceptible pests, leaving only resistant ones to reproduce.
Flashcard 9: What is one potential environmental benefit of pest-resistant crops?
Answer: Reduced use of chemical insecticides. Crops that resist pests naturally don't need chemical spraying.
Flashcard 10: What is the key difference between somatic cell gene therapy and germline editing?
Answer: Somatic affects one person; germline changes can be inherited. Somatic changes die with the person; germline passes to offspring.
Flashcard 11: What is a major concern about unintended effects of gene editing?
Answer: Off-target changes that may cause unexpected traits or health issues. Gene editing tools might accidentally alter unintended DNA sequences.
Flashcard 12: Identify the most likely outcome if a single crop variety is planted widely for many years.
Answer: Higher vulnerability to a new disease due to low genetic diversity. Lack of genetic variation makes all plants susceptible to the same threats.
Flashcard 13: Which option is the best example of an organism-level benefit of gene editing in medicine?
Answer: Correcting a harmful mutation to reduce or prevent a genetic disorder. Gene therapy can fix disease-causing mutations at the DNA level.
Flashcard 14: Identify the most direct societal impact if only wealthy groups access trait-selection therapies.
Answer: Increased inequality in health outcomes and opportunities. Creates genetic advantages available only to those who can afford them.
Flashcard 15: Which option best explains why a pest population may rebound after repeated pesticide use?
Answer: Resistant pests survive and reproduce, increasing resistance in the population. Natural selection favors resistant individuals when pesticides kill others.
Flashcard 16: What is gene flow in the context of GM crops and wild relatives?
Answer: Movement of genes from crops into wild populations. Modified genes can spread to related wild species.
Flashcard 17: What is a major risk of releasing organisms with a gene drive into ecosystems?
Answer: Hard-to-reverse changes to ecosystems and species balance. Permanent ecological changes are unpredictable.
Flashcard 18: What is a gene drive intended to do in a wild population?
Answer: Spread a chosen gene through a population rapidly. Engineered inheritance biases offspring traits.
Flashcard 19: Which option is most likely to increase biodiversity: monoculture or diverse crop varieties?
Answer: Diverse crop varieties. Multiple varieties preserve genetic diversity.
Flashcard 20: What is a key organism-level risk of selective breeding focused on one trait?
Answer: Reduced genetic diversity and increased inherited disorders. Inbreeding increases harmful recessive allele expression.
Flashcard 21: What is cloning in biology as a trait selection technology?
Answer: Producing a genetically identical copy of an organism or cell. Creates exact genetic duplicates through asexual reproduction.
Flashcard 22: What is a likely long-term result of widespread use of a single pest-resistant crop trait?
Answer: Pests may evolve resistance through natural selection. Surviving pests reproduce, passing resistance to offspring.
Flashcard 23: What is gene editing (for example, CRISPR) compared with older genetic engineering?
Answer: More precise DNA changes at a targeted location. CRISPR allows specific gene targeting unlike random insertion.
Flashcard 24: What is gene flow, and why does it matter for trait selection technologies?
Answer: Movement of genes between populations; traits can spread to wild relatives. Modified genes could transfer to wild plants through breeding.
Flashcard 25: Identify the best example of genetic engineering: crossing two dog breeds or adding a vitamin-producing gene to rice?
Answer: Adding a vitamin-producing gene to rice. Gene insertion creates traits impossible through breeding.
Flashcard 26: Which outcome best indicates reduced genetic diversity in a crop: many varieties grown or one variety dominates?
Answer: One variety dominates. Monoculture lacks genetic variation for disease resistance.
Flashcard 27: Which option best describes why cloning can be risky for a population: low diversity or high diversity?
Answer: Low diversity. Clones are identical, reducing genetic variation.
Flashcard 28: What is the most common societal benefit claimed for GM crops?
Answer: Improved food supply through increased productivity and reduced losses. More efficient farming helps feed growing populations.
Flashcard 29: What is pesticide resistance as an unintended impact of trait selection technologies?
Answer: Pests evolve to survive a control method, reducing its effectiveness. Organisms adapt to survive treatments meant to kill them.
Flashcard 30: What is gene flow in the context of GM crops and wild plants?
Answer: Movement of genes between populations through reproduction (such as pollen). Genes spread naturally through breeding and pollination.