Which of the following foods can help prevent the type of blindness associated with vitamin A deficiency?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Golden rice
Vitamin A deficiency can lead to blindness. One use of genetic modification is to raise the nutritional value of food. Golden rice is the book’s example: it is rice enriched with vitamin A, so eating it can help to prevent this kind of blindness.
Option (1) Flavr Savr tomato — Incorrect. The Flavr Savr tomato was modified so that it stays fresh for longer after harvest. It was not made to add vitamin A.
Option (2) Bt potato — Incorrect. Bt potato carries the Bt toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis. The toxin protects the plant from insect pests; it does not add vitamin A.
Option (3) Golden rice — Correct. Golden rice is vitamin ‘A’ enriched rice. It was developed to improve the nutritional value of a staple food.
Option (4) Bt brinjal — Incorrect. Bt brinjal is also a pest-resistant Bt crop. Its added gene fights insects, not vitamin A deficiency.
NCERT Extract:
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – “… Genetic modification has: (i) made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat). (ii) reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops). (iii) helped to reduce post harvest losses. (iv) increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion of fertility of soil). (v) enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g., golden rice, i.e., Vitamin ‘A’ enriched rice.”
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – “… Bt toxin gene has been cloned from the bacteria and been expressed in plants to provide resistance to insects without the need for insecticides; in effect created a bio-pesticide. Examples are Bt cotton, Bt corn, rice, tomato, potato and soyabean etc.”