Rice is the primary nutrient source for about one-third of humanity-approximately 2 billion people worldwide. One major disease of this crop, called rice blight, is caused by a bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae . This disease causes the rice plant to turn yellow and wilt and can affect up to 50 percent of the crop. Wild forms of rice have a natural resistance to the Xanthomonas bacterium, but these wild forms are not usable as crop plants. Scientists have developed a blight-resistant strain, using genetic engineering. Strains of blight-resistant rice have been grown successfully in several countries. A __________ is used to transfer genetic information from one organism to another.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A vector is a tool used in genetic engineering to transfer genetic material from one organism to another, enabling the development of blight-resistant rice strains by introducing resistance genes from other sources.

Rice Is the Primary Nutrient Source for About One-Third of Humanity-Approximately