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an essay on gmos
the good the bad and the ugly of gmos
the good the bad and the ugly of gmos
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Introduction What is Genetically Modified Organism? Plant Biotechnology is continuing its development within modern day science. With the increase understanding of scientific studies has led the improvement of plant productivity, quality and health. This understanding also contended potential issues on plant growth (Monsanto 2011). Plant biotechnology uses genetic engineering, which is the process of manipulating genes through isolation and reintroducing the DNA into the cell. This gave birth to Genetically Modified Organism, which are organism according to Dr. Steve Windley, MD, whom structure is manipulated. Modifying these organisms could control what they react and don’t react to, such as resistance to herbicides or it could improve the nutritional content. The other effects may be growth, or a slew of a numerous effects that could go unnoticed for years The History of Genetically Modified Organism. Genetically Modified Organism was introduced to the public approximately fourteen years ago. Genetically Modified Organism was brought about through Plant Biotechnology, which has been researched for centuries. Farmers’ crops are everything to their business, and wanting to preserve their product is top significance. A solution to the numerous possibilities of hindrance genetically modified organism was spawned. Traditional breeding included different processes, such as sowing seeds from the resilient plants in order to produce a new generation. Farmers would grow plants with higher yield and resistance to pests, naturally alternating the genetic makeup of plants. Consequently, a vast majority of plants today bare resemblances of their lineage (Biotechnology Industry Organization 2010). Plant biotechnology allows breeders to sel... ... middle of paper ... ...s.html (accessed April 14th, 2011). North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research. Biotechnology. October 2006. http://www.aboutbioscience.org/pdfs/Plant_Biotechnology.pdf (accessed April 15th, 2011). U.S Food and Drug Administration. Plant Biotechnology for food and feed. April 12th, 2011. http://www.fda.gov/food/biotechnology/default.htm (accessed April 13th, 2011). Umezawa T, Fujita M, Fujita Y, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Shinozaki K. "Engineering drought tolerance in plants: discovering and tailoring genes to unlock the future." PubMed, 2006: 22-113. United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Biotechnology. June 9th, 2010. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/biotech/in_focus/biotechnology_if_plant.html (accessed April 14th, 2011). Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln. Types of Drought. 2012. http://water.unl.edu/web/drought/typesofdrought (accessed November 27, 2012).
Pamela Ronald, a plant geneticist, presented a Ted Talk “The case for engineering our food”, Ronald points out that engineered genetics for our plants is not harmful, yet better for our environment and health. “Now, genetic modification is not new; virtually everything we eat has been genetically modified in some manner”(Ronald).
Genetically modified organisms are “an organism whose genome has been altered in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the output of desired biological products.” http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/genetically%20modified%20organism%20(gmo). The United States were first approved for human consumption of genetically modified foods in 1995. The techniques used for producing the genetically developed organisms include cloning recombinant DNA technology. Primary uses of genetically modified organisms are mostly in areas of agriculture and biomedical research. GMOs compromise numerous aids to society, including enlarged crop yields and the development of fresh therapeutic agents which prevent and treat a wide variety of human diseases . However there are some concerns around the use of genetically modified organisms which include the risks stood to human health and the initiation of insecticide resistant superbugs. This essay will provide evidence to support the evidence that the genetic modifications of crops produces better results than selective breeding or mutation.
In 2012, the global are of genetically modified crops continued to increase for the 17th year in a row at a rate of 6% (25 million acres). The area of genetically modified crops, or biotech crops, has increased almost 100-fold since commercialization in 1996, making biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture (“ISAAA”). The biotech boom has changed the way that producers grow their crops, for better or for worse. The explosion of genetically modified crops and foods has stirred a debate whether they are a harmful liability to the environment and to society or they are a beneficial, new technology that can help provide food to the rapidly increasing world population.
Modern biotechnology was born at the hands of American scientists Herb Boyer and Stain Cohen, when they developed “recombinant deoxyribonucleotide, (rDNA), [1] for medicinal purposes. Subsequently, biotechnologists started genetically engineering agricultural plants using this technology. A single gene responsible for a certain trait, from one organism (usually a bacterium) is selected altered and then ‘spliced” into the DNA of a plant to create an agricultural crop consisting of that...
USDA. "Agricultural Biotechnology: Adoption of Biotechnology and its Production Impacts". USDA Website. Available online at http://www.usda.gov. Accessed November 6, 2003.
The past twenty years have seen rise to a new burgeoning scientific field: genetically modified foods. During the plant breeding process, geneticists interfere with the reproduction and modify the genes of the new seedling by introducing a fragment of DNA from another organism that possesses the desired trait. With genetic modification, scientists can increase the pest, herbicide, cold, and drought tolerance so that the crop can survive in harsher climates. In some cases, the nutritional value can even be increased (Ulrich 9). Despite the obvious benefits of more nutritious foods and crops that are hardier and more resistant to harsher climates, there are some concerns surrounding GM foods. Each new alteration can cause an unforeseen allergic reaction, negate the effects of antibiotics, or potentially cause some adverse effects to the environment (Falkner 101). Every newly developed GM food must be tested on a case by case basis as there is no universal method that determines the safety of all modified components. As a result, long term effects of ingesting food with altered material are unknown.
Thesis: Genetically modified organisms have the potential to benefit the field of agriculture as they are continuing to make advancements that should not be hindered. GMO foods should be supported because they are safer, since they utilize fewer herbicides and pesticides, produce larger yields that can reduce world poverty, and can help fight vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition.
The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
According to scientists, genetically engineering crops contributes to their quality. Crops that have been genetically modified to have a particular trait can decrease the amount of herbicides needed for growing that crop. Additionally, genetically modified (GM) crops can help third world countries, where malnutrition is common. For example, to help diminish nutrient deficiencies in developing countries, “plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content”(Whitman 2). In addition, GM crops can be modified to be able to “withstand the environmental challenges of drought, disease, and insect infestation” (Swenson 1). Growing GM crops can also result in fruits and vegetables that stay fresh for a prolonged period of time and taste better.
The biotechnology frontier, especially developments in the field of genetic, promises- and to some degree has already archived - a revolution in agriculture and human health care. But proving the means to develop plant species that are more disease-and-pest-resistant, more tolerant of drought, and able to grow during extended periods of adverse conditions.
Biotechnology is also making plants more nutritious by increasing protein and vitamin content. Animals are even genetically engineered to produce meats that contain less fat. Scientists are even working to take t...
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are exclusive organism whose genes are altered by geneticists to improve the quality of the product. Back in 1973 Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer combined their research in order to create the very first successful recombinant DNA organism. Nine years later, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved the first genetically engineered drug, then tests of genetically engineered plants were conducted. In 1992, The FDA declared that GMOs aren’t dangerous and therefore doesn’t need any special regulation. In the past few years, GMOs have heightened concerns because they are saving people from starving, making greater yields, and helping increase the nutrition of foods.
Although genetically modified crops offered a wide range of benefits but it also poses some very serious threats. Hence, the use of this technology should be discouraged and alternative methods should be discovered.
Biotech food, which is genetically modified or genetically engineered, is grown from seeds that carry specific genes to produce desired characteristics. In the early 1990s, the first biotech food on the market was a tomato that ripened on the vine and could be transported without bruising. The products of agricultural biotechnology today include plants that are protected from insects or are tolerant to herbicides. Biotech foods have now made their way onto our tables. More than a third of the corn and more than half of the soybeans in the 1999 U.S. harvest were grown from seeds produced using biotechnology.
Biotechnology helps in protecting the environment,It provides crops with protection from viruses and insects by reducing the number of pesticid...