GM+Foods

This Wikipage was created by Caleb Friesen, Diego Eyzaguirre, Vale Cho, Andres Gonzales and Malaika De Weever (:

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=**WHAT IS Genetic Modification? ** =

====Genetic Modification is a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of organisms such as plants and bacteria. ====

Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology, the resulting organism is considered "genetically modified."

The benefits of genetically modifying crops, or GM Foods are as follows:
 * ====Enhanced taste and quality ====
 * ====Reduced maturation time ====
 * ====Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance ====
 * ====Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides ====
 * ====New products and growing techniques ====

====However, with genetic modification, several controversies arise... ====


 * ==== Potential human health impacts, including allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects ====


 * ==== Potential environmental impacts, including: unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other organisms (e.g., soil microbes), and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity ====


 * Ethic controversies include: **


 * ====Violation of natural organisms' values ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Objections to consuming genes in plants ====



=<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #f9b424; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">What are some of the advantages of GM foods? ** =

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Pest resistance Growing GM foods such as B.t. corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market. ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Herbicide tolerance Farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesn't harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off. ====

====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Disease resistance ** ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases. ====

====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Cold tolerance ** ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings ====

====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance ** ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places. ====

====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Nutrition Malnutrition ** ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Nutrition Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. Pharmaceuticals Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. ====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Not all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil.

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pharmaceuticals **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This is the creation of edible vaccines making them easier to transport.

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Phytoremedication **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This is the process of making plants that clean up the soil, such as trees that can clean up metal pollution from the ground



<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">**CITATIONS/ BIBLIOGRAPHY** <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">"Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Pro Quest. N.p., Apr. 2000. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. < @http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/  overview.php>. <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">

Roots, Media. "Genetically Modified Foods." 12 Feb. 2009. YouTube. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. < @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTfuAbzAeB8  >. <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">image : coyoteprime-runningcauseicantfly.blogspot.com <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">"Harmful or Helpful?" Genetically Modified Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. < ____ @http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php ____  >. <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;">image; http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/2129995823_9cf90fe8f0.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://bioseguridad.blogspot.com/2007/12/nyt-on-gmo-corn.html&usg=__-4xQSLsMJG1ZgEdjbft1PNvLjE4=&h=343&w=500&sz=230&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=yjjhxhQngUe_nM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbt%2Bcorn%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den-us%26biw%3D934%26bih%3D488%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=211&ei=NKfmTJClCsL38Ab9jNHRDA&oei=NKfmTJClCsL38Ab9jNHRDA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0&tx=90&ty=48 <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Times,Geneva,sans-serif;">