Question
Research is involved in the production of transgenic plants to incorporate characteristics which make some of the very rare plants hardier to a wider range of conditions. Many of the medicinal plants are dicotyledonous, which means that Agrobacterium can be used as a vector in the production of these transgenic plants.
Describe why these plants are called transgenic plants and explain the human need and demand which is driving this research. Discuss the scientific basis for concerns which some groups have for the production of such transgenic organisms.
Transgenic plants contain introduced genes artificially from another species or additional gene which is not part of it’s original genome. Human need and demand driving research is people in third countries need the plants to maintain health – not enoufh plants are left and they are in risk of becoming extinct, cutting off this resource for these people.
Traditional breeding processes are very slow and seeds may not grow in areas where the plants are needed. New plants creased to meet specific need using genes from other or similar species to create chracteristics desired for growing purposes.
Concerns
Creation of super weeds by making weedkiller-resistant varieties, cross breeding with vigorous closely related weed species could allow genes to be transfered.
Using the R genes as markers in the bacterial vectors could lead to transfer of resistance within bacterial species by transformation. It will create antibiotic resistance in super bug.
Cross pollination with wild relatives will destroy the wild genome.