Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

The correct response highlights that a genetically modified organism (GMO) is specifically defined by the process of incorporating genes from one organism into the DNA of another organism in a laboratory setting. This method allows for the direct alteration of an organism's genetic makeup, which can lead to traits such as increased resistance to pests, improved nutritional content, or enhanced growth rates.

This distinction is important because it sets GMOs apart from traditional methods of plant or animal improvement, such as selective breeding and hybridization. Selective breeding involves choosing parent organisms with desirable traits to produce offspring over many generations, which does not involve direct genetic manipulation. Species that develop naturally or through hybridization between closely related species also do not represent genetic modification in the lab sense, as their genetic changes occur through natural reproductive processes rather than scientific intervention.