Question

Which of the following might happen on consumption of Bt - brinjal by humans?

• A. It will stay undigested in our stomach.
• B. It will kill the microbes present in our gut lining.
• C. It might cause illness and eventually death.
• D. It will be broken down by our body and digested easily.

Answer 1

The correct option is D It will be broken down by our body and digested easily.

Bt - brinjal is a genetically modified brinjal created by inserting cry gene from a bacterium. This gene encodes for crystalline inactive toxins. When an insect consumes the Bt - brinjal, inactive toxins convert into active form in their alkaline digestive tract. This leads to their death.
On the other hand, when humans consume Bt - brinjal, the inactive toxins get destroyed due to the acidic nature of the human digestive system. Further, the brinjal gets broken down and is digested easily.