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BIOLOGY, M6 EQ-Bank 23

'The application of reproductive technologies in plant and animal breeding limits genetic diversity.'

To what extent is this statement correct?   (6 marks)

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  • Reproductive technologies intervene in natural reproduction and allow offspring with a higher chance of favourable characteristics.
  • Examples includes artificial insemination in animals, artificial pollination in plants, as well as IVF and selective breeding.
  • In all the above processes, male gametes with favourable traits are isolated and delivered into the reproductive system of selected females using technology.
  • The processes greatly increase the number of offspring generated by one parent, thus decreasing the genetic variability amongst them.
  • The repetitive use of the same male gametes across generations will eventually reduce the genetic diversity amongst the entire species, as the favoured characteristics will increase and less favourable alleles will be lost.
  • It should be noted that these technologies can also increase genetic diversity of a species through the collection and transportation of male gametes. This process helps genes to overcome geographical and time barriers, allowing for genotypes and hybrids which would otherwise not be possible by natural processes.
Show Worked Solution
  • Reproductive technologies intervene in natural reproduction and allow offspring with a higher chance of favourable characteristics.
  • Examples includes artificial insemination in animals, artificial pollination in plants, as well as IVF and selective breeding.
  • In all the above processes, male gametes with favourable traits are isolated and delivered into the reproductive system of selected females using technology.
  • The processes greatly increase the number of offspring generated by one parent, thus decreasing the genetic variability amongst them.
  • The repetitive use of the same male gametes across generations will eventually reduce the genetic diversity amongst the entire species, as the favoured characteristics will increase and less favourable alleles will be lost.
  • It should be noted that these technologies can also increase genetic diversity of a species through the collection and transportation of male gametes. This process helps genes to overcome geographical and time barriers, allowing for genotypes and hybrids which would otherwise not be possible by natural processes.

BIOLOGY, M7 2016 HSC 15 MC

Both artificial insemination and cloning are reproductive techniques that can decrease the genetic diversity of a population.

Which row of the table provides a correct reason for each technique's contribution to this decrease?

\begin{align*}
\begin{array}{l}
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex} \ \rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}& \\
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\textbf{A.}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}\\
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\textbf{B.}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}\\
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\textbf{C.}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}\\
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\textbf{D.}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}\\
\end{array}
\begin{array}{|l|l|}
\hline
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\quad \quad \textit{Artificial insemination }\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}& \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \ \ \ \textit{Cloning} \\
\hline
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\text{Random fertilisation takes place}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}&\text{Large numbers of individuals are produced}\\
\hline
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\text{One male has many offspring}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}& \text{All gametes are genetically identical}\\
\hline
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\text{All male gametes are identical}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}& \text{All individuals have the same phenotype} \\
\hline
\rule{0pt}{2.5ex}\text{Fewer males are used to reproduce}\rule[-1ex]{0pt}{0pt}& \text{All individuals have the same genotype} \\
\hline
\end{array}
\end{align*}

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\(D\)

Show Worked Solution
  • Artificial insemination uses pollen with favoured characteristics to pollinate flowers. This means that very few males will be used for their pollen for this process.
  • In whole organism cloning, the offspring have the same genome as the parent.

\(\Rightarrow D\)


♦♦ Mean mark 37%.

BIOLOGY, M6 2019 HSC 24

Explain the loss of biodiversity that may result from TWO biotechnologies used in agriculture.   (5 marks)

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  • Biodiversity can refer to both the diversity of species within an ecosystem, but also the variety of genomes and allele frequencies present within a species.
  • Biotechnologies used in agriculture may reduce biodiversity on both scales.
  • Artificial insemination involves the process of manually injecting sperm of favoured genetic traits into females of favoured genetic traits to have a greater chance of producing offspring of a desired type.
  • The repeated use of this process will result in all offspring becoming genetically similar, reducing the diversity within the species.
  • Artificial insemination has an equivalent process in plants which can result in the loss of genetic diversity in a similar way.
  • Transgenic organisms are those whose genomes have been modified by having a gene from another species inserted into it.
  • The mass use of this process will produce genetically advanced animals or crops which out-compete wild and native types, reducing the biodiversity of its species.
  • The use of transgenic organisms such as Bt cotton has also resulted in the reduction of its main pest, Bollworm. While a pest to the crop and the farmers, Bt cotton has resulted in the reduction of Bollworm in areas where it is prominent, reducing the diversity of the ecosystem it resides in. 

Other answers could include

  • Selective breeding.
  • Cloning (both gene and whole organism).
Show Worked Solution
  • Biodiversity can refer to both the diversity of species within an ecosystem, but also the variety of genomes and allele frequencies present within a species.
  • Biotechnologies used in agriculture may reduce biodiversity on both scales.
  • Artificial insemination involves the process of manually injecting sperm of favoured genetic traits into females of favoured genetic traits to have a greater chance of producing offspring of a desired type.
  • The repeated use of this process will result in all offspring becoming genetically similar, reducing the diversity within the species.
  • Artificial insemination has an equivalent process in plants which can result in the loss of genetic diversity in a similar way.
  • Transgenic organisms are those whose genomes have been modified by having a gene from another species inserted into it.
  • The mass use of this process will produce genetically advanced animals or crops which out-compete wild and native types, reducing the biodiversity of its species.
  • The use of transgenic organisms such as Bt cotton has also resulted in the reduction of its main pest, Bollworm. While a pest to the crop and the farmers, Bt cotton has resulted in the reduction of Bollworm in areas where it is prominent, reducing the diversity of the ecosystem it resides in. 

Other answers could include

  • Selective breeding.
  • Cloning (both gene and whole organism).

Mean mark 54%.

BIOLOGY, M6 2022 HSC 23

  1. Outline the process of artificial pollination.  (2 marks)

  2. Explain a possible outcome of the use of artificial pollination on subsequent populations.  (2 marks)

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a.   Artificial pollination Process

  • This is the process of manually pollinating plants with pollen of known characteristics in order to obtain offspring with similar qualities.
  • First, anthers of the recipient plant are cut off in order to remove chance of self pollination.
  • Then, pollen is manually transferred to the stigma of the recipient plant by hand using a brush, or using machinery.   

b.   Artificial pollen’s effect on subsequent populations:

  • decreases the variability amongst the species
  • decreases the genetic diversity.
Show Worked Solution

a.   Artificial pollination Process

  • This is the process of manually pollinating plants with pollen of known characteristics in order to obtain offspring with similar qualities.
  • First, anthers of the recipient plant are cut off in order to remove chance of self pollination.
  • Then, pollen is manually transferred to the stigma of the recipient plant by hand using a brush, or using machinery.      

b.   Artificial pollen’s effect on subsequent populations:

  • decreases the variability amongst the species
  • decreases the genetic diversity.

♦ Mean mark (b) 49%.