Which statement defines a GMO?

Which statement defines a GMO?

• A. Any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques
• B. An organism produced by conventional breeding
• C. A substance derived from living cells
• D. A virus

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a GMO is defined by how its genome was changed—through genetic engineering techniques that deliberately alter the genetic material. This includes introducing new genes, deleting or editing existing ones, or rearranging sequences using tools like recombinant DNA methods or gene-editing technologies. Because of this, the statement describing any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques best captures what a GMO is. This differs from traditional approaches like conventional breeding, which changes an organism’s traits over generations through selection and crossing but without targeted genetic engineering. A substance derived from living cells is not itself an organism, so it doesn’t define a GMO. A virus is a biological entity, not a definition of a GMO, and while viruses can be engineered, the term GMO refers to organisms whose genomes have been modified, not to the virus itself.

The key idea is that a GMO is defined by how its genome was changed—through genetic engineering techniques that deliberately alter the genetic material. This includes introducing new genes, deleting or editing existing ones, or rearranging sequences using tools like recombinant DNA methods or gene-editing technologies. Because of this, the statement describing any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques best captures what a GMO is.

This differs from traditional approaches like conventional breeding, which changes an organism’s traits over generations through selection and crossing but without targeted genetic engineering. A substance derived from living cells is not itself an organism, so it doesn’t define a GMO. A virus is a biological entity, not a definition of a GMO, and while viruses can be engineered, the term GMO refers to organisms whose genomes have been modified, not to the virus itself.