Almost all the bananas sold in shops are one variety. The plants are produced by tissue culture. These banana plants are sterile, so they do not produce seeds.
A fungal disease is now killing banana plants on many plantations.
Explain why this disease could destroy whole plantations of this variety.
Scientists have produced a genetically modified banana plant that contains a resistance gene taken from a wild banana.
Explain why genetic engineering was used rather than selective breeding.
Describe how tissue culture could be used to produce large numbers of the genetically modified banana plants.
Suggest one reason why some people may not want to buy the genetically modified bananas.
44 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 4.3 Selective breeding and genetic modification, covering 4.3.1 Selective breeding and its impact, 4.3.2 Tissue culture, 4.3.3 Genetic engineering overview, 4.3.4 Main stages of genetic engineering, 4.3.5 Advantages and disadvantages of GM organisms, 4.3.6 Agricultural solutions for a growing population, and 4.3.7 Evaluating genetic engineering and breeding. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.