British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Sterile male techniques definition

Definition: An insect pest control method uses the release of males that have been sterilised. If they mate, no offspring will be produced. For example, in Africa, malaria is a widespread disease. Mosquitoes infect people and can cause malaria. Research has been carried out to find ways of reducing the population of mosquitoes to stop malaria. One strategy is to use the sterile technique. They collected male mosquitoes, and they were irradiated to destroy their DNA. These mosquitoes were later released into the environment. They would mate with the females, but their eggs would not get fertilised, so there would be no offspring. The male mosquitoes are sterile because their DNA was destroyed. This will help to reduce the population and the risk of getting malaria.