ProCon’s Genetic Modification Quiz
- Question: GMOs are controversial. What are they?
- Answer: GMOs are genetically modified organisms.
- Question: Whose work was instrumental in the rise of genetically engineered food crops?
- Answer: The work of Austrian monk Gregor Mendel (1822–84), who discovered the principles of inheritance through his crossbreeding experiments with pea plants, was key to the rise of genetic engineering.
- Question: Which of the following is commonly used to modify food crops?
- Answer: All of these are common methods and tools for modifying food crops. Selective breeding techniques have been used for thousands of years; recombinant DNA combines genetic material from two or more different species; and CRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing technology.
- Question: Which common food item was the first to be genetically modified and approved for public consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?
- Answer: In 1994 the “FLAVR SAVR” tomato became the first genetically modified food to be approved for public consumption by the FDA. Genetically modified to increase its firmness (for resisting potential damage during shipping) and to extend its shelf life, this tomato was discontinued by the end of the decade because of high production costs, public skepticism about GMOs, and a bland taste in the opinion of some consumers.
- Question: Why is “bioengineered,” rather than “GM” (genetically modified), the preferred term for lab-manipulated food crops?
- Answer: All of these are reasons why “bioengineered” has become the preferred term for crops modified in a lab.
- Question: Which is a common argument against growing genetically modified (GM) foods?
- Answer: This is a common argument against growing genetically modified foods.
- Question: Food crops have been genetically modified for which of the following reasons?
- Answer: All of these are common reasons for genetically modifying food crops.
- Question: Which is a common argument in favor of growing genetically modified (GM) foods?
- Answer: This is a common argument in favor of growing genetically modified foods.
