[Campbell Biology P.487] One significant concern regarding the environmental impact of genet... | Practice Question
One significant concern regarding the environmental impact of genetically modified GM crops, as mentioned in the text, is the potential creation of 'super weeds.' Which of the following scenarios best describes how 'super weeds' could arise?
A: GM crops engineered for pest resistance develop new mutations that allow them to grow uncontrollably without pests.
B: GM crops pass their genes for traits like herbicide resistance to close wild relatives through pollen transfer, making the offspring difficult to control.
C: Farmers overuse herbicides on GM crops, leading to the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds through natural selection, unrelated to gene transfer.
D: Genetically engineered insects, released to control pests, cross-breed with native insect populations, creating hybrid 'super pests.'
Explanation
The text states: 'If crop plants carrying genes for resistance to herbicides, diseases, or insect pests pollinated wild ones, the offspring might become 'super weeds' that are very difficult to control.' This directly describes the gene transfer via pollen.