2021TrialShort answer

Q22 (b)

3 marks

Question

Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a minor crop grown in Australia for the edible and industrial oil markets. Commercial safflower production occurs mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. After oil is extracted from the seed, the remaining meal can be used as stockfeed. The first commercial GM (genetically modified) safflower was released in Australia in 2018. There are both supporters and critics for the use of this biotechnology.
Discuss ONE social or cultural issue which has influenced the use of a named GM crop.

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Solution

Criteria	Marks
• ONE named example provided<br>• Clearly identifies an issue<br>• Discuss points for and against	3
• Vaguely discusses issues and provide points for and/or against. OR<br>• Only identifies several issues and provide points for and/or against.	2
• Some relevant information	1

Sample answer:

Herbicide-Resistant corn, such as Roundup Ready Corn, is modified to be tolerant to weedkiller containing glyphosate. There is social concern from people with a perception that weedkiller is harmful to the health of people and animals, which leads them to question the safety of GM corn itself. There has been a large amount of research and evidence to support the safety of both GM corn and Roundup. Comments: Modified to produce beta carotene. Beta carotene is converted into Vitamin A when metabolised by the human body. Clearly identify an issue. Must discuss an issue (points for and against) Avoid using an economic example as part of a social issue. The syllabus classifies economic influence of biotechnology separately. (Golden Rice was not used due to economic reasons vs. social/cultural) - Other planned solutions for malnutrition as well as programs currently in place are cheaper and do not require GMOs, thereby making golden rice unnecessary. - Golden rice produces too little beta-carotene to eradicate VAD Range 0-3 Avg. 2.29

Supplied marking guidance · human reviewed

Compare this with your working, not only your final sentence.

Syllabus alignment

Module 6 · Genetic Change

BiotechnologyAnalyse social implications and ethical uses of biotechnology in plant and animal examples.
Genetic TechnologiesAssess how social, economic and cultural contexts influence biotechnologies.

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