Food shortages… this is the most commonly asked one in I/GCSE Biology
Good:
- Make plants that don’t mind dry conditions
- Make plants resistant to pests
- Beat deficiency diseases with golden rice’s beta carotene
Bad:
- Countries will become reliant on companies
- Poor soil = no chance
- Must tackle poverty first
GM Plants in MEDCs
It is mainly medical issues using flavonoid molecules as antioxidants. Purple tomatoes have snapdragon genes in them making them contain flavonoid which act like antioxidants and could reduce the risk of cancer. However, it may change the flavour of the tomato and we are unsure of the long term effects. It can lead to monocultures which reduce biodiversity in the area.
Feeding More People
We can feed more people using selective breeding schemes, reducing pest numbers and genetically modifying plants. We can select two parent plants with favourable characteristics to produce offspring with mega-good characteristics (e.g. big ears of wheat). We can reduce pest numbers by using insecticides and genetically modifying plants to be resistant to pests. Farmers can also implement crop rotation – when farmers grow different crops in a field each year.
Biofuels
Biofuels are made of biomass (plants, animals and their waste) and the three main ones are ethanol, biodiesel and biogas. Biogas is the gas given out when bacteria break down biomaterial such as plants. Ethanol can be mixed with 30% carbon dioxide to produce gasohol which cars in Brazil run on. Biodiesel is made from vegetable and waste oil, as well animal fats.
They are good because the plants removed carbon dioxide whilst alive. They are sustainable because they can be replanted to be used again. They are clean fuels and produce less particulates (which cause lung issues) than burning fossil fuels. However, they take up land that could have been used to grow food and cars/stations need expensive readjustments to harness the energy of the fuel.
Drafted by Catrina (Biology)