1. Exploring Biotechnology & GMOs
Artificial Selection
Exploring Biotechnology & GMOs

2. What is Artificial Selection?
What words come to mind when you think of Artificial Selection?

3. What is Artificial Selection?
A process in which humans consciously select for or against particular features in organisms.
For example, humans may select only organisms with a desired feature to reproduce or provide more resources to the organisms with the desired feature.
This process causes evolutionary change in the organism and is similar to natural selection only with humans, not nature, doing the selecting.

4. AS Example:
Pigs are artificially selected by man to produce the largest amount of meat

5. AS Example: Animal breeders
Peed in racehorses, milk production in cows, trail scenting in dogs.

6. Over the years, the plants with desirable characteristics are grown by man and their numbers increase. Meanwhile, plants without these characteristics are less likely to survive as they are not provided with the fertilizers and pesticides by man.
Eventually, the species of the plant will evolute.
What may be an example of this?

7. GMOs &Artificial Selection
GMOs: Genetically Modified Organisms
Crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques.
Biotechnology: Application of scientific and technical advances in life science to develop commercial products

8. How to create GMOs Traditionally: breeding time consuming
often not very accurate

9. How to create GMOs Genetic engineering
Create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy.
For example: plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically- modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well.

10. Did you know?
Genes can be transferred from one plant to another and from non-plant organisms.
The best known example is the use of B.t. genes in corn and other crops.
B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, natural bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are transferred into corn  self produce pesticides

11. Let’s engineer our own crop
sgen.html

12. How prevalent are GM crops?
Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in over a decade, the U.S. produced the majority.
68% of all GM crops were grown by U.S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina (23%), Canada (7%) and China produced (1%).
Other countries that grew commercial GM crops: Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay.

13. How prevalent are GM crops?
40 plant varieties commercialized by the government including: tomatoes, cantalopes, soybeans
Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet the prevalence of GM foods in U.S. grocery stores is more widespread
Highly processed foods and its ingredients mixed with genetically modified ingredients

14. What are some advantages of GM Foods?
Pest resistance/Herbicide tolerance/ Disease resistance
Cold tolerance/Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance
Reduced Maturation time
Nutrition
Pharmaceuticals
Phytoremediation

15. What are some criticisms against GM foods?
Environmental hazards
Unintended harm to other organisms
Reduced effectiveness of pesticides
Gene transfer to non target species
Human health risks
Allergenicity
Unknown effects on human health
Economic concerns

16. What’s your stance?
Selective breeding of agricultural crops can benefit populations in less-developed countries by producing hardier crops, increasing food supplies, and improving the nutritional content of food. However, opponents of artificial selection technology believe that it affects the natural ability of a species to reproduce, which negatively affects biodiversity.

17. What’s your stance
Brainstorm with your group key points for your argument
Support your points with facts and examples
Try this: Vote Online - Should we grow GM crops?
Debate next class!

18. Food for thought Genetically-modified foods: Good or bad?
solve many of the world's hunger and malnutrition problems
help protect and preserve the environment
Proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human health and the environment.