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1. Why genetically engineer?

   People genetically engineer living things to improve them in ways that were difficult or impossible with older methods of genetic manipulation, like artificial selection. See these topics in Life's Big Instruction Book: What's that? genetic engineering, artificial selection

2. What can we do with genetic engineering that we couldn't do before?

   Genetic engineering allows us to add, remove, or change specific genes to improve living things' traits. The older method of genetic manipulation, artificial selection, attempts to improve traits by choosing from among traits produced randomly by mutation. See these topics in Life's Big Instruction Book: What's that? genetic engineering, natural selection, artificial selection

3. What are the risks of genetic engineering?

   There are many potential risks posed by all forms of genetic change, whether natural or man made. There are a few risks which are specific to genetic engineering. These risks are common to all forms of genetic change: Production of novel allergens Creation of weedy plants, where the change is beneficial to wild plants Gene transfer from crop plants to wild relatives Gene transfer across species boundaries Reduction of nutritional value of foods Production of novel poisons Increase in pesticide resistance, where the change produces more or different pesticides Increase in herbicide resistance, where the change produces more or different herbicides These risks are specific to genetic engineering: Increase in antibiotic resistance, where antibiotic resistance genes are used in genetic engineering See these topics in Life's Big Instruction Book: What's that? genes, mutation (genetic change), traits, genetic engineering, artificial selection,

4. Who regulates genetic engineering?

   The actual process of genetic engineering isn't regulated as such, but its products are. In the United States, food containing engineered genes is regulated by both the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture.

5. How are genetically engineered crops designed?

   First, plant breeders find that there's a trait they want in a plant that they can't reach through artificial selection. They then consult with biologists to see if genes for that trait exist in other living things. If so, biologists isolate those genes, and insert them into plants in the laboratory. They then grow the plants in the lab to see that everything is going right: the new genes are producing the desired trait, and no odd side-effects are occurring. These tests are then repeated on a larger scale in greenhouses, and then finally in isolated test fields. Only after all these tests come up right do farmers get to plant the crop. See these topics in Life's Big Instruction Book: What's that? genetic engineering, artificial selection

6. See these topics in Life's Big Instruction Book: What's that?

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