Vegetables are low in calories and fat, too. Vegetables (as well as fruits) come in a rainbow of colors. It is a good idea to eat a variety of colors each day. That is because different colors are rich in different phytonutrients. Science in the Kitchen Biotechnology Biotechnology can help improve the quality of the food supply. Bio is short for biology. It refers to living plants and animals. Technology refers to the processes used to create new structures. Thus, biotechnology means using biological processes to create plants and animals with new traits. For example, scientists use biotechnology to develop plants that resist insects. That means less insecticide needs to be used, which helps protect the environment. It also means less food is destroyed by insects, which can help families have enough to eat. For example, genetically engineered eggplant has helped low-income farmers in Bangladesh grow more food for their communities. Scientists also use biotechnology to raise the nutrient levels in foods. They have produced a type of rice that is packed with vitamin A. This rice will help prevent blindness in thousands of children living in low-income countries. Scientists use biotechnology to increase the amount of food a plant can produce. This will help lower food prices and provide more food to low-income countries. Scientists also can use biotechnology to create vegetables that stay fresh longer. Biotechnology is also called genetic engineering. Genetic engineering allows scientists to move specifi c genes from one plant or animal to another. A gene is a unit of information that can be passed to an off spring. All the characteristics of all plants and animals are stored in their genes. Genes determine if a carrot will be long or short. They also determine whether a cow will have spots or be one color. Some people think biotechnology is new. In reality, biotechnology began long ago. For centuries, farmers have manipulated the genes of animals and plants. For instance, they have bred pigs to be leaner. Corn is another example. Wild, native corn has only two or three kernels on each ear. After many years of careful breeding, corncobs now have hundreds of juicy kernels. Early biotechnology was slow and imprecise. Scientists could not carefully control which genes were transferred. They did not always get the results they wanted, either. Scientifi c advances since 1970 have allowed scientists to speed up the process of changing the characteristics of plants and animals. Scientists can now move the gene for a desired trait from one plant or animal to another. For instance, to protect potatoes and eggplant from insects, scientists have inserted a gene found in a bacterium into potatoes. Some people worry about risks caused by moving genes among plants and animals. In the United States, government agencies work together to ensure that foods produced through biotechnology are safe. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) judges the safety and nutrition of foods produced by biotechnology. Foods that could cause an allergic reaction must include this information on their labels. Foods that have altered nutrient levels must be labeled, too. By learning more about biotechnology, you will be able to make wise choices about foods produced with this technology. Cornell Alliance for Science Bt eggplant was engineered to resist insects, enabling farmers to use much less pesticide and produce much more food. 353 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 15 Versatile Vegetables