Video Transcript
The AquAdvantage salmon is a genetically engineered species of fish. The genes that regulate the release of the growth hormone have been altered in this species. This enables the salmon to grow faster and to grow all year round. What is the advantage of this? (A) This species of salmon can provide a higher quantity of food faster. (B) This species of salmon can establish dominance in its native ecosystem. (C) This species of salmon requires less nutrition, so it puts less strain on the ecosystem. Or (D) this species of salmon can be bred with other species to create better-adapted fish.
Before we start thinking about what genetic engineering means, we can already exclude answer choice (D). Two different species cannot breed together and produce fertile offspring. So even if better-adapted offspring would be born, it could not produce offspring, as it is not fertile. The better-adapted fish would simply die out. So this answer choice is wrong.
Now back to the question, it asks us about a specific species of salmon that is genetically engineered. You might recall that genetic engineering refers to the process of modifying an organism’s genome. With genetic engineering, we can insert a gene that increases the amount of growth hormone produced in salmon. This produces the AquAdvantage species of salmon, which can grow faster than unmodified species of salmon. As this species of salmon grows faster, it will likely require more and not less nutrition. So answer choice (C) is incorrect.
Looking at answer choice (B), this species of salmon may very well establish dominance in its ecosystem, but this wouldn’t be an advantage because this might disrupt the ecosystem. Generally, this species of fish is made to be sterile to avoid this situation. So this answer is incorrect. The advantage of increased growth hormone released in salmon is answer (A). This species of salmon can provide a higher quantity of food faster.