Question

The prefix “Bt” in Bt cotton means

• A. “Barium treated” cotton seeds
• B. “Bigger thread” variety of cotton with better tensile strength
• C. Carrying an endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis
• D. Produced by “biotechnology” using restriction enzymes and ligases

Answer 1

The correct option is C Carrying an endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis

Bt refers to the toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. The gene that produces this toxin is added into the genome of the cotton. Thus the cotton produces the Bt toxin which acts as a pesticide for the insects that destroy the crop.