Medium2 marksStructured
AQA GCSE · Question 09.2 · Inheritance Variation and Evolution
Suggest two reasons why some people are concerned about the use of GM soya bean plants. Do not refer to ethical concerns or religion in your answer.
Suggest two reasons why some people are concerned about the use of GM soya bean plants. Do not refer to ethical concerns or religion in your answer.
How to approach this question
Think about the potential environmental and health impacts of GM crops.
1. **Environmental:** What could happen if the new gene escaped from the crop into the wild?
2. **Health:** Are there any potential risks to people who eat GM food?
Full Answer
1. There is a concern that the gene for herbicide resistance could transfer to wild plants (e.g., weeds) through cross-pollination, creating "superweeds" that are also resistant to the herbicide.
2. There may be unknown long-term health effects on humans from consuming GM foods.
Despite the benefits, there are several scientific and environmental concerns about the widespread use of genetically modified (GM) crops:
- **Gene Transfer to Wild Populations:** A major concern is that the gene for herbicide resistance could be transferred from the GM soya beans to wild relatives or weeds via cross-pollination. This could lead to the evolution of herbicide-resistant "superweeds," which would be very difficult to control.
- **Potential Human Health Risks:** Some people are concerned that consuming food containing novel genes and proteins could have unforeseen long-term health consequences, such as triggering allergic reactions or having other unknown effects on human physiology.
- **Impact on Biodiversity:** Spraying a field with a highly effective herbicide can kill nearly all the weeds. While this is good for the crop, these weeds are part of the local ecosystem, providing food and habitat for insects and other organisms. Reducing weed populations could therefore lead to a decrease in overall biodiversity in and around the farmland.
- **Corporate Control:** Farmers who use GM seeds often have to buy them new each year from the company that owns the patent, which can be expensive and lead to a dependency on a small number of large corporations.
Common mistakes
✗ Giving ethical or religious reasons, as the question forbids this.
✗ Vague answers like "it's unnatural" or "it might be dangerous" without being specific.
✗ Stating that GM food definitely causes harm, rather than expressing it as a concern or potential risk.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Biology Higher Tier Paper 2
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