Video Transcript
The diagram provided shows a very
simple outline of how golden rice is produced. How will golden rice be different
from normal rice? (A) It will contain more provitamin
A. (B) It will grow faster. (C) It will grow taller. (D) It will contain less provitamin
A. (E) There will be no obvious
difference.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient
found in a number of foods, including carrots, eggs, and cheese. Vitamin A deficiency is very common
in countries that rely on rice as their primary food source because rice does not
contain much vitamin A. When a person does not have enough
vitamin A in their diet, they are considered vitamin A deficient. This can cause a number of issues,
including problems with the immune system, blindness, and even death.
Vitamin A doesn’t actually exist in
the foods we eat but comes in a form called provitamin A instead. And when we eat these foods and
process them, provitamin A is converted into vitamin A. So, if we don’t get enough
provitamin A in our diet, this is what can lead to a vitamin A deficiency.
This question asks about golden
rice, which is a genetically modified version of the rice plant that contains more
provitamin A. This gene contains the instructions
for making provitamin A. So, when these rice seeds are
planted, they produce rice that has a lot of provitamin A, which turns the rice
golden in color. So, when people who rely on rice as
their primary source of food eat golden rice, they get high levels of provitamin A
and they will not have a vitamin A deficiency.
Getting back to our question, the
option that correctly identifies how golden rice is different from normal rice is
given by answer choice (A). It will contain more provitamin
A.
