| maddog - 8/26/2010 08:03
...and there is always a cost associated with the production of that protein.
You make the assumption that a plant is maxed out with protein production and can't tolerate more without a penalty. That can't be true as a plant continues to make more and more protein as it grows and clearly it is not maxed when it emerges. Another example would be a plant that is utilizing N or water. This plant is growing stronger and producing more protein vs one that is stressed or stagnant in growth.
The production of protein does not automatically ("always") cause a yield penalty. A gene inserted in a negative location may cause a penalty. A gene that disrupts the normal growth of a plant might cause a penalty. Incomplete breeding after the new gene is inserted could cause a drag.
The number of genes will not tell you the level of drag. |
Smartstax
