Starter quiz
- What is meant by the term 'sustainable resource'?
- a resource that eventually runs out
- a resource that is replaced as quickly as it is used ✓
- a resource that is of importance for improving human quality of life
- a resource that is used at certain times of the year
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Why do humans need to produce more food?- We are farming more cattle that eat our food.
- The population of humans is increasing rapidly. ✓
- The population of humans is stable.
- We need to make sure that ecosystems have high biodiversity.
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- Why does limiting the movement of animals on farms (e.g. cattle or fish) help to improve the efficiency of food production?
- More of the biomass that is eaten is converted into the animal's biomass. ✓
- The animals use less biomass to photosynthesise.
- There is more biomass used by animals that do not move around.
- Less biomass eaten by animals is digested and it passes through the animal.
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- What is the long term change in weather patterns called?
- 'climate change' ✓
- Food security is reduced by which of the following?
- new pests and pathogens (diseases) ✓
- intensive farming methods which produce high crop yields
- a smaller human population.
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- Which of the following is a consequence of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
- Polar ice increases and sea levels drop.
- Polar ice decreases and sea levels drop.
- Polar ice increases and sea levels rise.
- Polar ice decreases and sea levels rise. ✓
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Exit quiz
- Which two letters are used to indicate that a crop has been genetically engineered to have more favourable characteristics?
- 'GM' ✓
What is mycoprotein?- a protein made by bacteria
- a carbohydrate made by a plant
- a protein made by a fungus ✓
- a carbohydrate made by a fungus
- a protein made by an animal
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- Why is mycoprotein a food that helps to improve food security?
- It provides a high-protein meat substitute. ✓
- It provides a low-protein meat substitute.
- It provides a cheap and sustainable source of protein. ✓
- It provides an expensive alternative source of protein.
- It takes up large areas of farmland to produce.
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- What is meant by the term biotechnology?
- technology that makes animals live longer
- increasing the rate that animals reproduce so there is more meat available
- the modification and use of organisms to make useful products ✓
- making large amounts of food for humans
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- Glucose syrup is used to help culture the fungus that is used to produce mycoprotein. What is the glucose syrup used for?
- It is used as an enzyme by the fungus.
- It is used as a source of food by the fungus. ✓
- It helps to maintain the right conditions for the fungus.
- It helps to maintain aerobic conditions for the fungus.
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- Genetically modified crops can help to ensure that there is food security. Which of the following are ways that crops can be modified to help produce more food?
- Crops can be modified to produce small yields.
- Crops can be modified to produce pesticides which stop them from being eaten. ✓
- Crops can be modified to make them more vulnerable to disease.
- Crops can be modified so that they die when there is not enough rainfall.
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Factors affecting food security, e.g. human population size, changing diets in wealthier populations, sustainability.
- Factors affecting food security, e.g. cost of agricultural inputs, environmental change, new pests and pathogens.
- Biotechnology can be used to produce food, for example microorganisms can produce mycoprotein, a fungus.
- Genetically modified crops can be used to increase food yields or produce better quality food.
- Benefits must be weighed against risks, costs and ethical issues.
Common misconception
Pupils may have a belief that genetically engineered organisms are not safe. While there are risks with GM organisms, there are a wide range of benefits which can help humans.
The lesson highlights the benefits of genetically modifying crops to address food security challenges, especially in the context of a growing human population and other factors that threaten food availability.
Keywords
Food security - having enough food to feed the human population
Genetic engineering - modifying the genome of an organism by adding, removing or altering genes, to introduce a desirable characteristic (or remove an undesirable one)
Biotechnology - the alteration and use of organisms to produce products for human use
Ethics - whether an action taken is right or wrong
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