Variaton

• What are differences in the characteristics of individuals in a population called?

  Variation
• What are the possible causes of variation in a population?

  Genetic, environmental, or a combination
• What process leads to new phenotype variants?

  Mutations
• What is the name given to breeding plants and animals for particular characteristics?

  Selective breeding
• What are the steps of selective breeding?

  • Choose parents with the desired characteristic.
  • Breed them together.
  • Choose offspring with the desired characteristic and breed again.
  • Continue over many generations until all offspring show the desired characteristic.
• What is a key consequence of inbreeding practices?

  Inherited defects and disease
• What is the term for modifying an organism's genome by introducing a gene from another?

  Genetic engineering
• What are some ways plant crops have been genetically engineered?

  Resistance to diseases/herbicides/pesticides, bigger fruits, higher yields
• For what purpose have bacteria been genetically engineered?

  To produce useful substances
• What biological tools are used to cut out the required gene in genetic engineering?

  Enzymes
• What is used to transfer the required gene into a new cell during genetic engineering?

  A vector
• What are the steps involved in adult cell cloning?

  • Nucleus removed from unfertilised egg cell.
  • Nucleus from adult body cell inserted into egg cell.
  • Electric shock stimulates egg cell to divide to form an embryo.
  • Embryo develops and is inserted into the womb of an adult female.
• What is tissue culture cloning?

  Using small groups of cells from plants to grow identical new plants
• Why is tissue culture cloning of plants important?

  To preserve rare species and grow plants commercially
• What cloning method involves a simple method used by gardeners to produce many identical plants from a parent plant?

  Cutting
• What is involved in cloning through embryo transplants?

  Splitting cells from a developing animal embryo before they are specialised, then transplanting