BIOLOGY FINAL EXAM (GMOS)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (VERIFIED
AND UPDATED)
Are all living organism modified in some way? - ANS Yes
According to the World Health Organization, what is a GMO? - ANS An "organism(s) in which
the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating
and/or by natural recombination
In other words, the variation in a GMO is the result of: - ANS Genetic manipulation in a
laboratory environment and NOT natural processes, such as reproduction
What is transgenic? - ANS refers specifically to those organisms containing genes from
another species (often a bacterium)
What does the prefix "cis" mean? - ANS Same
Describe cisgenic GMOs: - ANS The DNA of the target organism is modified to alter the
physical characteristics of the target organism
What does the prefix "intra" mean? - ANS Within
@2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Describe an intragenic GMO: - ANS Pieces of the organism's own genetic information have
been rearranged to improve a characteristic
What are dogs, wheat, and even strawberries the result of? - ANS Humans interfering with
the natural reproduction of species to produce something beneficial to humans
What is selective breeding? - ANS When humans identify some form of natural variation in
the trait of a species, such as fruit color or size, the size of apart of a dog, or a specific type of
seed, and then breed individuals with similar characteristics to produce offspring that all
possess the trait of interest
What was the first GMO approved for human consumption? - ANS Flavr-savr tomato,
invented in 1994 by researchers at Calgene to solve the problem of fruit over-ripening
What did the researchers do in order to achieve this? - ANS Disable a gene in the tomato that
dissolved the pectin in the skin of the tomato, causing it to soften
Scientists have developed genetically modified organisms to address the recent increases in the
rate of global population growth and the world's finite resources (T/F) - ANS True
Describe climate change: - ANS Alters the temperature of an ecosystem; it also affects
precipitation patterns
Define bioaccumulated: - ANS Things at the top of the food pyramid, Apex Predators, had
accumulated the chemicals from all the layers below them from chemical insecticides. E.g., Bald
Eagles
Describe Rachel Carson: - ANS Wrote a book called Silent Spring in 1962 that called the
public's attention to bioaccumulation and her work eventually led to the creation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970.
@2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (VERIFIED
AND UPDATED)
Are all living organism modified in some way? - ANS Yes
According to the World Health Organization, what is a GMO? - ANS An "organism(s) in which
the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating
and/or by natural recombination
In other words, the variation in a GMO is the result of: - ANS Genetic manipulation in a
laboratory environment and NOT natural processes, such as reproduction
What is transgenic? - ANS refers specifically to those organisms containing genes from
another species (often a bacterium)
What does the prefix "cis" mean? - ANS Same
Describe cisgenic GMOs: - ANS The DNA of the target organism is modified to alter the
physical characteristics of the target organism
What does the prefix "intra" mean? - ANS Within
@2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Describe an intragenic GMO: - ANS Pieces of the organism's own genetic information have
been rearranged to improve a characteristic
What are dogs, wheat, and even strawberries the result of? - ANS Humans interfering with
the natural reproduction of species to produce something beneficial to humans
What is selective breeding? - ANS When humans identify some form of natural variation in
the trait of a species, such as fruit color or size, the size of apart of a dog, or a specific type of
seed, and then breed individuals with similar characteristics to produce offspring that all
possess the trait of interest
What was the first GMO approved for human consumption? - ANS Flavr-savr tomato,
invented in 1994 by researchers at Calgene to solve the problem of fruit over-ripening
What did the researchers do in order to achieve this? - ANS Disable a gene in the tomato that
dissolved the pectin in the skin of the tomato, causing it to soften
Scientists have developed genetically modified organisms to address the recent increases in the
rate of global population growth and the world's finite resources (T/F) - ANS True
Describe climate change: - ANS Alters the temperature of an ecosystem; it also affects
precipitation patterns
Define bioaccumulated: - ANS Things at the top of the food pyramid, Apex Predators, had
accumulated the chemicals from all the layers below them from chemical insecticides. E.g., Bald
Eagles
Describe Rachel Carson: - ANS Wrote a book called Silent Spring in 1962 that called the
public's attention to bioaccumulation and her work eventually led to the creation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970.
@2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
