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To protect a farm animal from a plant toxin, a gene for resistance to the toxin was transferred to the farm animal - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2008 - Paper 1
Question 3
To protect a farm animal from a plant toxin, a gene for resistance to the toxin was transferred to the farm animal. Which term best describes this process? (A) Clon... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:To protect a farm animal from a plant toxin, a gene for resistance to the toxin was transferred to the farm animal - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2008 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which term best describes this process?
Answer
The best term that describes the process of transferring a gene for resistance to a plant toxin into a farm animal is Genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering involves altering the genetic material of an organism, which is precisely what is occurring in this scenario as the gene for resistance is being inserted into the DNA of the farm animal to provide immunity against the toxin.
Other options can be dismissed as follows:
- Cloning refers to producing a genetically identical copy of an organism, not the transfer of genes.
- Artificial pollination relates to the transfer of pollen from one flower to another, concerning plants.
- Artificial insemination is a reproductive technology that involves directly inserting sperm into the reproductive tract of a female, which is unrelated to genetic modification.