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Advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops
Advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops
Advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops
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What are transgenic organisms? How are they made? Are they safe? Are they a good source of food? These are all questions that are asked about transgenic organisms. Through this paper we will discuss these questions and give viable answers. We will look in detail into the role these organisms play in today’s society. Transgenic organisms are organisms that have been genetically modified through the insertion of DNA from one organism into the genome of another organism (WiseGeek, 2011). In our case the organisms are agricultural plants that are being modified to produce a desired phenotype. When these plants are fully developed they will exhibit the desired traits that were inserted to improve the plant. When these organisms reproduce they pass on the traits, that were inserted into them, on to the new plants as if they were always their own. In the United States, genetically modified crops include canola, chicory, corn, papaya, potato, rice, soy, squash, sugar beet, golden rice, tomato, and many more. Out of these transgenic crops, corn, papaya, and soy are the three most distributed transgenic crops in the United States (Dubey, 2010). Internationally, the four principle genetically altered crops are corn, cotton, canola, and soybeans (Nguthi, 2011). There are many benefits of growing transgenic crops; they can be made stronger, more nutritious and are also easily cared for. Transgenic crops are also pest resistant, herbicide tolerant, disease resistant, tolerant to the colder weather, drought tolerant, more nutritional, have pharmaceutical benefits, and are able to under go phytoremediation. Genetically modified crops can increase the nutrition of the public, while increasing the profits of farme... ... middle of paper ... ...m Soderlund, C., Collura, K., Wissotski, M., Ashley, E., Morrow, D., Fernandes, J., Walbot, V., Yu, Y., Descour, A., Kudrna, D., Bomhoff, M., Boyd, L., Currie, J., Angelova, A. (2009, December 10). What Are the PROS & CONS of Transgenic Crops. The Maize Full Lenght cDNA Project. Retrieved October 21, 2011, from http://www.maizecdna.org/outreach/e1.html WebMD (2003). Are Biotech Foods Safe to Eat?.WebMD. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat Whitman, D. B. (2000, April). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?. ProQuest. Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php WiseGEEK: (2011). What are transgenic Organisms?” Clear Answers for Common Questions. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-transgenic-organisms.htm
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...
Whilst some refer to transgenic organisms as, “Frankenfoods”, the proponents see this as the second Agricultural Revolution. Biochemists cite the classical example of a transgenic banana which could produce vaccines as a means to continue their research. Undoubtedly if such a banana did exist it could potentially provide millions if not billions of people access to vaccinations. The chair of the Food and Agribusiness Institute at Santa Clara University states, “Bioengineering is just a more refined process [of selective breeding], which will probably result in more productive animals and plants at a lower cost than traditional breeding methods.” This “more refined process” has served to create corn, which is resistant to pests such as corn borers; tomatoes, which can resist cold temperatures and have increased traveling durability; and arguably the most important, cattle which is resistant to mad cow disease. Aside from the clearly visible genetic advantages provided by transgenic organisms, proponents further cite the colossal economic impact of GMOs. PG Economics issued a report which reveals the net economic benefit at the farm level in 2011 was $19.8 billion, and over a 16 year period from 1996 to 2011 the global farm income gain was $98.2 billion. This 16 year period coincides with the adoption of transgenic cropping systems.
Any organism that is genetically modified can be defined as a transgenic organism. The two main benefits of transgenic plants are that they can help increase yields without having to select against bad plants, and they can be resistant to toxins. In order to create a transgenic plant DNA ...
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).
Maghari, Behrokh Mohajer, and Ali M. Ardekani. "Genetically Modified Foods And Social Concerns." Avicenna Journal Of Medical Biotechnology 3.3 (2011): 109-117. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Should you worry about GMOs? (2013). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 31(9), 4-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1458270646?accountid=39340
Whitman, Deborah. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?". Cambridge Scientific Abstracts. Available online at http://www.csa.com/hottopics/gmfood/overview.html. Accessed November 9, 2003.
A GMO is a plant or animal that has been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. Most of the combinations which are used could not possibly occur in nature on its own. The intention of the process is to create a new beneficial trait such as creating its own pesticide or make it immune to herbicides. This would allow the crop such as Bt co...
Deal, Walter F., and Stephen L. Baird. “Genetically Modified Foods: A Growing Need.” Technology Teacher 62.7 (2003): 18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
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 inserting it into another plant. The new genetically modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
In conclusion, the application of genetically modified food has a lot of pros and cons. There is so much disagreement about the benefits and risks of GM because there are so many different views surrounding it. This issue is very important today because it will change our future. How would the world be when every single living creature will be in some aspect genetically modified? Would we be more resistant to illness? Or would we be weaker and more vulnerable to diseases? Would this be the beginning of the mutant era? Regardless of the answers to these questions, we will need to consider the implications of genetically modified foods.
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
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.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is an organism, such as a plant, animal, or any microorganism who’s had its DNA changed in different ways through genetic engineering that is not natural. It is an organism like every other organism, which produces thousands of proteins, but one or two of them are proteins that were chosen were specifically by humans. It creates unstable combinations of plants, animal, bacterial, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Majority of Americans in the US consume nearly 200 pounds of GMOs each year. 90% of US crops are genetically modified.
Boyers, Lindsay. "Genetically Modified Foods." SF chronicle [San Francisco] 03 03 2013, Demand Media n. pag. Print.