Question:

Find out from internet what is golden rice.

Updated On: Feb 22, 2024
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Solution and Explanation

Golden rice is a genetically modified variety of rice, Oryza sativa, which has been developed as a fortified food for areas where there is a shortage of dietary vitamin A. It contains a precursor of pro-vitamin A, called beta-carotene, which has been introduced into the rice through genetic engineering. The rice plant naturally produces beta- carotene pigment in its leaves. However, it is absent in the endosperm of the seed. This is because beta-carotene pigment helps in the process of photosynthesis while photosynthesis does not occur in endosperm. Since beta-carotene is a precursor of pro- vitamin A, it is introduced into the rice variety to fulfill the shortage of dietary vitamin A. It is simple and a less expensive alternative to vitamin supplements. However, this variety of rice has faced a significant opposition from environment activists. Therefore, they are still not available in market for human consumption.

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Concepts Used:

Applications of Biotechnology

Biotechnology is the technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms, or parts of this to develop or create different products.

For example, brewing and baking bread fall within the concept of biotechnology (use of yeast (= living organism) to produce the desired product).

Agriculture

Alternative to conventional farming: A possible solution is the use of genetically modified crops which is an alternative path to conventional farming.

Medicine 

In the area of healthcare, recombinant DNA technological processes have made an immense impact which enables the mass production of safe and more effective therapeutic drugs.

Gene Therapy 

A collection of methods that allows the correction of a gene defect that has been diagnosed in a child/embryo is called Gene Therapy.

CRISPR technology

For editing genomes, CRISPR is a simple yet powerful tool which allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function.