Cattle have been domesticated by humans for approximately 10 000 years. Many biotechnologies have been employed in the farming of cattle. The table shows examples of the application of these biotechnologies.
Biotechnology
Example
Selective breeding
The offspring of highest milk producing female cows were retained and over time cows that produced more milk were bred, leading to dairy breeds.
Artificial insemination
An American bull holds the current record for artificial insemination. He produced 2.4 million units of semen and has sired cattle in 50 countries.
Whole organism cloning
The success rate of cloning cattle is low. There are currently 30-40 cloned cattle in Australia. They are not used commercially.
Hybridisation
There are two species of domestic cattle, Bos taurus and Bos indicus. They can be hybridised to breed cattle with characteristics of both species.
Transgenic organisms
The first transgenic cow produced human serum albumin in its milk. The use of transgenic cattle is not widespread.
With reference to the table, evaluate the effect of biotechnologies on the biodiversity of cattle. (5 marks)
BIOLOGY, M6 2023 HSC 4 MC
BIOLOGY, M6 EQ-Bank 28
Describe how technological developments led to the advancement of our knowledge and understanding of inheritance. Support your answer with examples. (7 marks)
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BIOLOGY, M6 2018 HSC 10 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?
BIOLOGY, M6 2022 HSC 23
- Outline the process of artificial pollination. (2 marks)
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- Explain a possible outcome of the use of artificial pollination on subsequent populations. (2 marks)
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BIOLOGY, M6 2021 HSC 3 MC
A scientist transferred male gametes from one plant to another to achieve a desired characteristic in the offspring.
Which genetic technology was the scientist using?
- Gene cloning
- Artificial pollination
- Artificial insemination
- Whole organism cloning