What is a transgenic organism?

A transgenic organism is defined as an organism that has been genetically modified to contain genes from another species. This process often involves the insertion of a gene from one organism into the genome of another, allowing the recipient organism to express new traits or characteristics.

For example, transgenic plants might be engineered to express resistance to pests or tolerance to herbicides. Similarly, transgenic animals can be created for research purposes, such as mice that carry human genes to study disease processes.

This concept is crucial in biotechnology since it enables the development of innovations in agriculture, medicine, and environmental science. The other options do not accurately capture the essence of what makes an organism transgenic; they relate to different aspects of biology, such as natural selection, hybridization, and random mutations, which do not inherently involve the incorporation of foreign genes from other species.