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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...
Safety controversies include:
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
Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species
Objections to consuming genes in plants
What are some of the advantages of GM foods?
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.
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.
Disease resistance
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.
Cold tolerance
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
Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance
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.
Nutrition Malnutrition
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.
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.
Pharmaceuticals
This is the creation of edible vaccines making them easier to transport.
Phytoremedication
This is the process of making plants that clean up the soil, such as trees that can clean up metal pollution from the ground
CITATIONS/ BIBLIOGRAPHY "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Pro Quest . N.p., Apr. 2000. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/ overview.php>.
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...
Safety controversies include:
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
Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species
Objections to consuming genes in plants
What are some of the advantages of GM foods?
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.
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.
Disease resistance
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.
Cold tolerance
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
Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance
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.
Nutrition Malnutrition
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.
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.Pharmaceuticals
This is the creation of edible vaccines making them easier to transport.
Phytoremedication
This is the process of making plants that clean up the soil, such as trees that can clean up metal pollution from the ground
CITATIONS/ BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Pro Quest . N.p., Apr. 2000. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/ overview.php>.
Roots, Media. "Genetically Modified Foods." 12 Feb. 2009. YouTube. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTfuAbzAeB8>.image : coyoteprime-runningcauseicantfly.blogspot.com"Harmful or Helpful?" Genetically Modified Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2010.
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