Question

Plants can be genetically modified in a number of different ways. Select all of the methods by which scientists are genetically modifying plants.

Check All That Apply

O Plasmids within the plant pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, are used to Introduce genes into a plant
O Industrial fungi strains are modified to pass on genes to the roots of plants
O Small particles of genetically modified DNA coated in a metal are fired by a gene gun into plant tissue
O Insects, that serve as vectors for human diseases, are modified to insert transgenic DNA into plants
O Small pieces of RNA are used to silence the expression of specific alleles

Answer 1

Scientists genetically modify plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens plasmids, gene guns to shoot DNA into cells, and RNA interference to silence specific genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Scientists use various methods to genetically modify plants. One of these is utilizing the plasmids of the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which are used to introduce genes into a plant.

This method is notable for creating transgenic plants with desirable traits such as insect resistance or herbicide tolerance. Another method involves shooting small particles of genetically modified DNA coated in metal into plant tissue using a gene gun. Additionally, the use of RNA interference (RNAi) technology involves small pieces of RNA to silence the expression of specific alleles, thus controlling plant characteristics at the genetic level.