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Biology · Edexcel Paper 1

Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering

How humans change organisms to meet their needs: selective breeding, tissue culture, genetic engineering and its main stages, GM crops, agricultural solutions to feeding a growing population, and an evaluation of the benefits and risks. Matches Edexcel 4.8 to 4.14. The lessons on selective breeding, genetic engineering and evaluating them are for both Combined Science and separate Biology at Foundation and Higher. Tissue Culture, GM Crops and Feeding a Growing Population are for separate Biology only, and The Stages of Genetic Engineering is for Higher tier only, for both courses.

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Key terms in this chapter

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Selective breeding
Breeding organisms with desired characteristics over many generations, so that the characteristics become more common.
Artificial selection
Another name for selective breeding, since humans do the selecting.
Domesticated
Tamed and kept by humans, as farm animals and pets are.
Yield
The amount of a product, such as milk or grain, that is produced.
Inbreeding
Breeding between close relatives, which increases the chance of genetic disorders.
Breed
A variety of a domesticated animal, with its own distinct characteristics.
Gene pool
All of the alleles in a population.
Disease resistance
The ability of an organism to avoid or survive a disease.
Characteristic
A feature of an organism.
Tissue culture
Growing tissues or cells in a sterile laboratory dish with nutrients.
Explant
A small piece of tissue taken from a plant, to grow in culture.
Callus
A mass of undifferentiated plant cells that grows in tissue culture.
Plantlet
A small young plant grown from a callus.
Sterile
Free from microorganisms.
Agar
A jelly used as a growth medium for tissue culture, and to grow microorganisms.
Plant hormone
A chemical that controls the growth and development of a plant.
Clone
An organism that is genetically identical to another.
Culture
A growth of cells or microorganisms in a laboratory.
Genetic engineering
Modifying the genome of an organism by introducing a gene from another organism, to give a desirable characteristic.
Genetically modified (GM)
An organism that has had its genes changed by genetic engineering.
Genome
The entire DNA of an organism.
Vector
A carrier, such as a plasmid, that is used to move a gene into a cell.
Plasmid
A small ring of DNA found in bacteria.
Gene therapy
Treating a genetic disorder by putting a healthy gene into a patient's cells.
Insulin
A hormone that controls blood glucose, which is used to treat diabetes.
Golden rice
A GM rice that makes beta-carotene.
Fermenter
A large vessel in which microorganisms are grown to make a product.
Restriction enzyme
An enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific base sequence.
DNA ligase
An enzyme that joins pieces of DNA together.
Sticky ends
Short stretches of unpaired bases left at the ends of DNA cut by a restriction enzyme.
Vector
A carrier, such as a plasmid, used to transfer a gene into a host cell.
Recombinant DNA
DNA made by joining DNA from two different sources.
Plasmid
A small ring of DNA found in bacteria, used as a vector.
Host cell
A cell that receives recombinant DNA.
Marker gene
A gene on a plasmid, such as for antibiotic resistance, which shows which cells have taken it up.
Complementary
Able to pair with each other, such as the bases A and T.
GM crop
A crop plant that has had its genes changed by genetic engineering.
Bacillus thuringiensis
A soil bacterium that makes a toxin that kills certain insects.
Bt toxin
A protein made by Bacillus thuringiensis that is poisonous to some insect larvae.
Pest
An organism that damages a crop or something else people value.
Insecticide
A chemical that kills insects.
Yield
The amount of crop that is produced from an area of land.
Biodiversity
The variety of living things in an area.
Refuge
A part of a field planted with non-GM crop, so that some insects stay non-resistant.
Herbicide
A chemical that kills weeds.
Fertiliser
A substance containing minerals that is added to soil to help plants to grow.
NPK fertiliser
An inorganic fertiliser that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Eutrophication
Rapid growth of algae in water caused by too many nutrients, which leads to a lack of oxygen.
Biological control
Using a living organism, such as a predator or parasite, to control a pest.
Pest
An organism that damages a crop or something else people value.
Predator
An animal that hunts and eats other animals.
Parasite
An organism that lives on or in another organism and harms it.
Pesticide
A chemical that kills pests.
Invasive species
A species introduced to an area where it harms the native species.
Evaluate
To weigh up the benefits and the drawbacks, and reach a judgement.
Ethical issue
A question of what is right or wrong, rather than what is possible.
Practical issue
A question about how well something works, or what problems it may cause.
Patent
A legal right that stops other people from copying or selling an invention.
Food security
Having a reliable supply of enough safe and nutritious food.
Gene therapy
Treating a genetic disorder by putting a healthy gene into cells.
Animal welfare
The health and well-being of animals.
Regulation
Rules and tests that control how a technology is used.
Biodiversity
The variety of living things in an area.