Question

What is the first transgenic crop?

Answer 1

Transgenic crop:

1. A transgenic plant is a modified organism where genes are transferred from one organism to another through genetic engineering techniques.
2. There are two techniques for introducing foreign genes into the plant cell genome.
3. The first is through a vector.
4. And the second is through the direct introduction of DNA.
5. These are pest-resistant crops.
6. Such crops increase the nutritional value of food.

Nicotiana tabacum:

1. In 1982, the first transgenic plants were produced in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) which expressed antibiotic resistance.
2. L-phosphinothricin, a gene resistant to PPT, Basta (the active ingredient of herbicide) was isolated from Medicago sativa.
3. L-phosphinothricin was incorporated into tobacco, hence the production of transgenic tobacco (DPT resistant).