#4 - Global Reference, Weaken

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[Sdaoud17]

I was between A and D and I picked A because of the opponent of rDNA were concerned about them escaping the from the lab. which I think I was right about picking A but Can you explain to me why D is Wrong ?

Thank you

[BethRibet]

Hi,

Answer choice D is not the strongest choice because although it does potentially help minimize the risk of adverse environmental consequences from organisms in sewage treatment centers (if they were to migrate out of the plant), the stated criticism of rDNA technology is the risk that genetically altered organisms will escape a laboratory. D does not speak as clearly to this concern, and in contrast, A negates the concern definitively.

good luck!
Beth

[yrivers]

Can you explain why B and C are wrong? Thank you!

[Francis O'Rourke]

Choice (B) tells us that the microorganism is successfully contained, but does not give us any information about what containment means in this case. For example we do not know how long it took to contain the organism. We also don't know from this answer choice if the organism already affected the natural ecosystem.

Choice (C) would weaken the argument if the opponents alleged that microorganisms would run rampant over the natural ecosystem. However, they never stated any such thing, and this answer choice does not tell us anything about lower danger from a population kept in check. That is, just because the microorganism will be preyed upon doesn't mean that it won't seriously upset the balance of predator and prey in nature.

[riabobiia]

Hi Powerscore Admins!

I was having a bit of trouble understanding what differentiates the right answer from my answer for the following question:

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken an argument of opponents of rDNA technology?

My answer was:
D) Genetically altered organisms designed to process sewage into methane cannot survive outside the waste treatment plant.

And the correct answer was:
A) New safety procedures developed by rDNA researchers make it impossible for genetically altered microorganisms to escape from laboratories.

My reasoning was that although opponents of rDNA technology have major issues with the possibility of genetically altered microorganisms escaping laboratories, the reason why they have concerns about it is because of what could happen if those organisms survive outside of the lab, correct?

Why is D not necessarily correct when considering A as the right answer?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Hi Powerscore Admins!

I was having a bit of trouble understanding what differentiates the right answer from my answer for the following question:

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken an argument of opponents of rDNA technology?

My answer was:
D) Genetically altered organisms designed to process sewage into methane cannot survive outside the waste treatment plant.

And the correct answer was:
A) New safety procedures developed by rDNA researchers make it impossible for genetically altered microorganisms to escape from laboratories.

My reasoning was that although opponents of rDNA technology have major issues with the possibility of genetically altered microorganisms escaping laboratories, the reason why they have concerns about it is because of what could happen if those organisms survive outside of the lab, correct?

Why is D not necessarily correct when considering A as the right answer?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

Hi riabobiia,

Thanks for the post! I have moved your post to the thread that discusses this topic. Please review this explanation in particular and let us know if this helps or if you still have further questions. Thanks!

[riabobiia]

I'm still a bit torn between A and D!

I understand that A most directly addresses the concerns in the passage, but the reason why a microorganism's escape from a laboratory would be detrimental is if the organism could survive outside of the lab, thus interrupting the way the natural world works.

However, if organisms couldn't even survive outside of the lab, then wouldn't that solve the concern about them escaping? They wouldn't be able to live long enough to disrupt the natural world.

Or is it because answer choice D only mentions organisms that process sewage into methane and answer choice A talks about all genetically altered organisms?

[Luke Haqq]

Hi riabobiia!

To see why (A) is superior to (D), it might help to list out the problems raised by opponents of rDNA technology. These occur in the final two paragraphs and include: genetically altered organisms in general might escape from laboratories, could cause incurable disease, and could disrupt ecosystems. Opponents also raise ethical problems. The point in listing these out is to highlight that opponents don't raise any arguments specifically about organisms designed to process sewage. Rather, that comes one paragraph before the opponents are discussed.

In addition, note that answer choice (D) only refers to the inability of these organisms to survive outside "the waste treatment plant," not outside a laboratory. This answer choice thus isn't quite addressing the opponents' concern about genetically altered organisms escaping specifically from laboratories.