Argumentative Essay: Are Gmos Safe To Eat?

Genetically Modified Organisms, also known as GMOs, are organisms that have had their genes tampered with to gain desirable traits. Desirable traits can include immunity to diseases, quicker growth, or even fattening an animal. GMOs are mainly used in food sources, such as animals or crops; the produce is engineered in such a way that it provides an advantage for the supplier and consumer.
Advantages to genetically engineering a vegetable crop or a animal, can and will bring in more food source for the human population. Tomatoes are an example of a food that has undergone genetic modification; around 1994 scientists were able to deactivate a gene that softened fruit from the tomato and artificially ripen it so it could last longer on the shelf. These tomatos are no longer cultivated today because of the modification made the plants more resistant to antibiotics, thus effecting humans as well. Animals,

such as Salmon, are also being genetically altered to be able to grow anywhere from twice to four times faster than normal; This however is still under consideration from the Food and Drug Administation.
In order to make a genetically modified organism, three components are required, a desired gene to be transfered, the organism acquiring the gene, and a vector. In order to obtain the desirable trait, scientists must use restriction enzymes to cut out the specific trait from the DNA strand in the original host. This desirable trait is then injected into a vector, which is a DNA molecule that is used as a transport to carry the desirable foreign gene to the new host. This combination is then injected into the new organism the DNA enters the host cells and inserts itself into the host's genome.
In Germany, GMOs are being opted-out, and banned from retail, even if they are considered safe.

Hessen the german state in which I reside, has banned GMOs from the shelves as of last year late-May. Germany has not cultivated genetically modified corn since 2009 and the starch potato during 2010. This is not just a government decision either, even the citizens of Germany are against food that contain GMOs and opt toward "Bio foods" or also known as organic foods.
Are GMOs safe to eat? The current available genetically modified crops, such as corn, soybean and oilseed rape, are deemed safe to ingest by the Food and Drug Administration. Although recent research done on lab rats has shown that genetically modified corn can cause abnormalities, such as cancer, early death, and liver problems. After several studies done on animals, The American Academy of Environmental Medicine was able to claim that animals that ate or had contact with genetically modified foods often had health problems such as infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, and cancerous

tumors.
GMOs are regulated by saftey tests administered by their respective US Departments. Plant GMOs are regulated by US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Plant Protection Act; While the Food And Drug Administration regulates GMOs in food and other products. The United States approach to regulating GMOs is based on the nature of the product and not how they were produced.