Which term describes the deliberate modification of an organism's genome to achieve desired traits?

• A. Bioethics
• B. Natural selection
• C. Comparative anatomy
• D. Genetic engineering

Answer: (D)

Deliberate modification of an organism's genome to achieve desired traits is genetic engineering. This involves using tools to insert, delete, or alter genes to produce specific outcomes, such as crops with pest resistance or microbes making therapeutic proteins. This term captures the intentional, human-directed changes to genetic material.

Bioethics deals with the moral and social implications of biology, not the act of changing DNA itself. Natural selection is the process by which advantageous traits become more common over generations through differential survival and reproduction, not a lab-directed modification. Comparative anatomy is the study of body structures across species to understand relationships and evolution, not genome editing.