8.7.3 Risks and benefits of genetically modified organisms Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. Which is a benefit of genetically modified crops?

   • Reduced need for any water or nutrients under all conditions, so crops never need irrigation again
   • Increased yield or resistance to pests, which can reduce crop losses
   • Guaranteed elimination of all weeds forever, so herbicides are never needed on the farm again
   • Elimination of the need for farmers, since the crops can be planted and harvested entirely by machines

2. Which is a potential risk of growing herbicide-tolerant GM crops?

   • The crop will produce no seeds at all, which means the farmer must buy new seed each year
   • The herbicide will become a gene, which passes into the crop and changes its genetic code
   • The crop will always die in sunlight, so it cannot be grown in any field with normal light levels
   • Herbicide-resistant weeds may evolve, reducing the effectiveness of the herbicide

3. Which risk is associated with gene transfer from GM crops to wild relatives?

   • Wild plants always lose all their DNA after contact with the GM crop, which kills the wild population
   • Wild plants stop reproducing, which is the usual result of any gene transfer from a crop to a wild species
   • Wild plants become unable to photosynthesise, since the modified gene blocks the chloroplasts in the leaves
   • Wild plants may acquire the modified trait, which could affect ecosystems

4. Which statement is an example of a potential environmental risk of GM crops?

   • Effects on non-target insects, if an insecticidal toxin harms species other than pests
   • Improved root growth in all soils, which is the main environmental effect of GM crops in the field
   • Increased number of earthworms in all cases, which shows that GM crops improve soil health
   • Lower use of water for every crop, since GM crops always need less water than conventional varieties

5. A study finds that a GM maize variety reduces pesticide use by 40 per cent but yield increases by 10 per cent. What is the best evaluation of benefits?

   • There are no benefits because yield is lower, so the variety cannot be recommended to any farmer
   • The study shows that pesticides are harmful to every plant, so all pesticide use should stop immediately
   • The benefits include reduced pesticide use and higher yield, but long-term effects still need assessing
   • The benefits are proven permanently with no need for monitoring, since the study has shown a clear result

6. Which benefit of GM crops is most relevant to food security in developing countries?

   • Crops that only grow in laboratories, so the food supply does not depend on fields or farms
   • Crops that are more resistant to drought or disease, potentially increasing yield
   • Crops that never need to be planted, which removes the need for seeds and planting machinery entirely
   • Crops that remove the need for food, since the crop itself provides all the nutrition that people require

7. Which concern about GM food is linked to the possibility of allergic reactions?

   • GM food changes the colour of blood, which is the main sign of an allergic reaction in consumers
   • A new protein introduced into a food may trigger an allergy in some consumers
   • GM food always causes immediate death, which is why it is banned in most countries around the world
   • All GM foods contain no protein, so the allergy risk is removed from the food supply completely

8. Which is the main argument for regulating GM products?

   • To guarantee that all products will be profitable, so that the companies make a return on investment
   • To assess and reduce risks to human health and the environment before products are released
   • To ensure that GM organisms can never reproduce, which is the only safe way to release them
   • To prevent any scientific research, which is the aim of regulation in every country

9. Which evaluation is most balanced for the use of GM crops in agriculture?

   • GM crops offer potential benefits such as higher yield, but risks and social concerns must be weighed case by case
   • GM crops are always beneficial and need no assessment, since they have been designed to be safe
   • GM crops are always harmful and should be banned, since any genetic change is dangerous to the environment
   • GM crops have no effect on farming, so the question of their use does not arise for any farmer

10. Which ethical concern is raised by patenting genetically modified seeds?

    • Farmers may become dependent on companies for seeds, which may affect their independence
    • Patents prevent crops from growing, which is why companies are required to license every field
    • Seeds become unable to germinate, since patent protection destroys the seed embryo in the process
    • Seeds lose all their genes once they are patented, which makes them useless for any future planting

11. A GM crop is engineered for pest resistance. Which evaluation is best for the claim that it will never harm other organisms?

    • Correct, because a single pest-resistance gene has no effects anywhere in the food web
    • Correct, because all plant genes are harmless to animals and insects, so no testing is needed
    • Incorrect, because pest resistance never works in the field, so the claim is not relevant to any real crop
    • Incorrect, because effects on non-target organisms and food chains must be tested, as they can be unexpected

12. Which of the following is an advantage of GM crops with improved nutritional content?

    • They produce no nutrients at all, which means they are used mainly as a source of fibre for industry
    • They can help address deficiencies, such as vitamin A deficiency, in populations that rely on a staple crop
    • They always taste worse than conventional crops, which is why they are used only in animal feed
    • They prevent the body from absorbing vitamins, which reduces the risk of overdose in some populations

13. A farmer uses a GM crop that requires less pesticide. What does this mean for the farm's costs and the environment?

    • It makes the crop more expensive to grow in every case, since GM seed always costs far more to use than other seeds
    • Lower pesticide use can reduce costs and environmental impact, although other costs must still be considered
    • Pesticide use increases costs without any effect on the environment, since the crop still needs the same spraying
    • No change to costs or environment is possible, because the crop is the same as conventional varieties in all respects

14. Which risk is associated with the spread of antibiotic resistance genes if they are used as markers in GM organisms?

    • Antibiotic resistance disappears from all populations, since the marker gene removes the resistance in the cell
    • Resistance genes might transfer to pathogenic bacteria, reducing treatment options
    • Antibiotics become less toxic to humans, which is the main reason for concern about marker genes
    • Bacteria become unable to divide, which means the marker genes stop the infection from spreading

15. A survey finds that public opinion on GM food is divided. Which statement best explains this?

    • People weigh different values, such as perceived risk, benefit and trust in regulators, differently
    • Opinion is decided only by the price of food, which is the only factor that influences the views of the public
    • Scientific evidence is irrelevant to opinions, since people decide only on the basis of personal taste
    • All people hold identical views on GM food, so the division must be caused by a measurement error

16. Which statement describes a long-term uncertainty in assessing the risks of GM crops?

    • Risks disappear once a crop is approved, which means that monitoring is not needed after release
    • There is no uncertainty because all GM crops are identical, so their effects can be predicted from one test
    • All effects appear immediately and are always measured in a single season, so long-term effects are not an issue
    • Effects on ecosystems and human health may only become apparent over many years of use

17. Which pair correctly matches a GM benefit with its example?

    • Nutritional enhancement: crop with reduced vitamin content, which makes the food more digestible
    • Pest resistance: crop engineered to produce a toxin harmful to certain insect pests
    • Drought tolerance: crop that needs more water than normal, which is why it is grown in wet areas
    • Herbicide tolerance: crop that is killed by all herbicides, which allows farmers to remove weeds easily

18. A regulatory agency requires a field trial of 3 years before approval of a GM crop. What is the main reason for this requirement?

    • To prevent the crop from ever being grown, since the trial is designed to show that the crop is unsafe
    • To make the trial cheaper than laboratory testing, which is the main reason for field trials in agriculture
    • To allow the company to sell seeds before the trial ends, which gives an early return on investment
    • To gather evidence on performance and environmental effects under real growing conditions

19. Which statement best describes the balance between risks and benefits of GM organisms?

    • Risks and benefits must be assessed case by case, using evidence and considering the context
    • Risks always outweigh benefits, so no GM organism can be used in any setting at any time
    • Benefits always outweigh risks, so no assessment is needed for any GM organism that is released
    • Risks and benefits are unrelated to one another, so each can be judged on its own without reference to the other

20. A GM crop is said to be substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart in regulatory tests. What is the main purpose of such a comparison?

    • To prove that the GM crop is identical in every gene and protein to the conventional crop
    • To show that the crop cannot reproduce, which is needed before it can be sold to farmers
    • To check whether the GM crop differs in key properties, so that safety assessment can focus on any new differences
    • To allow the crop to be sold without any testing at all, since it is compared to a known crop

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