Question

What are the Bt-crops? Describe their significance.

Answer 1

Bt crops are crops that are genetically modified to produce the Bt toxin in the plant. Bt toxin is naturally produced in Bacillus thuringiensis. It is a crystal protein that is toxic to pest. Bt crops are genetically engineered to produce the same proteinin every cell of the plant. It acts as natural insecticides. It kills Lepidoptera larvae by forming pores in the gut of the insect. The protein is synthesized by cry gene as an inactive protein inside the bacterium but the alkaline conditions of the gut of the insect transforms the inactive protein into an active form.

The significance of the Bt-crops is that, they are naturally resistant to pests, and they do not harm any other useful organisms. These toxins also do not harm the plants. These plants do not require the use of external pesticides to control the pests.