Golden rice contains two genes from other organisms, one from a daffodil and one from a soil bacterium. The genes allow the rice to make β\betaβ-carotene, which the human body uses to make vitamin A.
Describe how scientists could insert the daffodil gene into a plasmid, and then select bacteria that have taken up the plasmid.
A child needs 400 μg400\ \mu\text{g}400 μg of vitamin A each day. One bowl of Golden rice provides enough β\betaβ-carotene to make 150 μg150\ \mu\text{g}150 μg of vitamin A.
Calculate the percentage of the child's daily need for vitamin A provided by two bowls of Golden rice.
Golden rice was first produced in 2000. Farmers were not allowed to grow it until about 20 years later.
Suggest two reasons why.
127 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.2 Feeding the human race, covering 6.2.1 Biological factors affecting food security, 6.2.2 Agricultural solutions to growing demand, 6.2.3 Selective breeding, 6.2.4 Genetic engineering, 6.2.5 Steps in genetic engineering, 6.2.6 Benefits and risks of gene technology in agriculture, and 6.2.7 Biotechnological solutions to growing demand. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.