How are plants genetically modified? Are they like animals where you can breed specific ones to enhance the qualities you want?
In: Biology
Various methods.
1. Selective breeding. Like with animals, plants with desirable traits are bred together to create an even better plant. Rinse and repeat, this has been done for thousands of years. If google poctures of how fruit used to look hundreds or thousands of years ago, they look much less tasty. Usually when peoe talk about genetic modification, this isn’t what they mean though.
2. Radiation. This began in the late 20th century. Plants were bombarded with radiation in the hopes that usef mutations occurred. It was basically a game of chance. It did show some success but wasn’t anything like a targeted modification.
3. True genetic engineering via tools like Crispr/Cas. These tools can cause specific cuts in certain parts of DNA or help insert other genes. This changes the plants DNA. Using existing knowledge of the function of some genes, you can use this to do things like create resistance to herbicides or protect the plants from unwanted bugs.
Yes. You can breed specifically the ones that produce what you want. Another solution is to use the seeds from the ones that produced more. Unlike animals, you can let nature run its course and use the best seeds, rather than try to force two plants to make babies.
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