Depleting the gene bank
Description
This program discusses the dangers of selecting and breeding better and better and fewer and fewer varieties. It explains the dangers of depleting the gene bank: when new diseases or predators appear, entire species may be wiped out because no naturally-resistant varieties remain; and the smaller number of varieties offered tend to omit the regionally well-adapted ones in favor of more generally adapted plants-another disaster waiting to happen. The hopeful side of agricultural experimentation is plant tissue culture, which is the model for an entirely new way to produce more and better plants, more quickly. The reality is that in agriculture, no fix is permanent-insect genetics are constantly changing, and agricultural geneticists are in a race against world starvation.
Runtime
29 min
Series
Subjects
Genre
Date of Publication
[2008], c1988
Database
Films on Demand
Direct Link
https://www.remote.uwosh.edu/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=102638&xtid=33049
Similar Films
Prenatal Development
Designer genes. Science and ethics of genetic engineering
The Moral Mind?
Designer plants
Human Genome Project. The Future
Hand-me-down genes. How genes work
The Disappearing male. Environmental threats to human reproduction
Our Genes Under Influence
Science in everyday life. Health and wellness video clips. Part 1
Secret universe. Journey inside the cell
Birth Defects. Causes and Prevention
Cutting and splicing DNA
The DNA obsession
Hardy-Weinberg Punnett square
Body corporate. Who owns your genes?