What do you think about genetically modified foods? Modified foods are a big question in the science world. Many people think that genetically modified foods are good and many think that they are not. From scientific research there are many pros and cons to genetically modified foods.
Genetically modified foods can have many positive effects on the world. We can use fewer pesticides by inserting a pest resistant gene into the gene of plants. Farmers use many pesticides over and over to keep the insects from eating their crops. This is usually a high costing process and time consuming. When the plants receive water the excess water runs into another source of water and when that happens it picks up the chemicals that the pesticide had left on the soil. By injecting a gene into a crop to make it resistant to the pesticide we can use fewer pesticides and clean up the contamination that they cause, we can save money, and we can also harvest more crops. Weed killers is also a problem but there reason and solution is the same thing as the pesticides. Another positive is that you can protect plants from diseases. Many fungi, viruses, bacteria can cause a plant to die. Genetically we can modify a plant so that if a plant became intertwined with a virus it could still survive, and when you can protect the plant you will increase your chances for a healthy harvest. Another way to increase your food supply is to take a gene that can help a plant survive cold weather, drought or salinity tolerance. When you have a frost many plants die from being in the cold, or when you have a drought. So again we have another reason to save money and crops from being wasted. For many places when you have a bad harvest the price of the fo...
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...time. The last con is the fact that we have no idea how every genetic change will affect the people, plants, animals, or the environment. Every genetic modification will react in its own way and it is very challenging to predict what will happen. Only time and research can tell what negative response this will have on us or our environment.
Many people wonder if genetically modified foods are good for you and the environment, Research has shown that there are many positives and negatives to genetically modified organisms. There is no way to be absolutely sure if they are good or bad.
Works Cited
“Genetically Engineered foods.” Web. 19 January 2014.
Li, Laura “Genetically modified organisms “ 19 November 2012. Web. 19 January 1014
Whitman, Debrah “Genetically Modified Foods.” Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Web. 19 January 2014.
Young, C. (2013, December 3). 7 most common genetically modified foods. In Food for thought.
One of the most necessary uses of genetic engineering is tackling diseases. As listed above, some of the deadliest diseases in the world that have yet to be conquered could ultimately be wiped out by the use of genetic engineering. Because there are a great deal of genetic mutations people suffer from it is impractical that we will ever be able to get rid of them unless we involve genetic engineering in future generations (pros and cons of genetic eng). The negative aspect to this is the possible chain reaction that can occur from gene alteration. While altering a gene to do one thing, like cure a disease, there is no way of knowing if a different reaction will occur at the cellular or genetic level because of it; causing another problem, possibly worse than the disease they started off with (5 pros and cons of gen. eng.). This technology has such a wide range of unknown, it is simply not safe for society to be condoning to. As well as safety concerns, this can also cause emotional trauma to people putting their hopes into genetic engineering curing their loved ones, when there is a possibility it could result in more damage in the
18 Apr. 2013. . "Genetically engineered foods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 5 July 2012.
Genetically modified foods are developed by combining genes from two different organisms which alters it's DNA and do not occur naturally. Biotechnology is relatively new so like most people, I turned to research to argue this issue with facts. In my opinion, genetically modifying foods have more harmful effects than they do beneficial. I am against their use because it creates safety risks for our health and animals, it can damage the environment and we have to deal with the total costs.
From the Flavr Savr ™ tomato to the more recent genetically modified corn, genetic engineering has been around for about 20 years. Now, do you really know what GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are? Do you understand both the pros and the cons are? Are you positive that GMOs mat or may not affect your health or the enviroment? If you answered no to any of these questions I strongly suggest you continue reading.
Scientists have been changing genomes of plants and animals by integrating new genes from a different species through genetic engineering, creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). Consumers in America have been eating GMOs since 1996, when they went on the market. There are benefits to genetically modifying crop plants, as it improves the crop quality and increases yield, affecting the economy and developing countries. But there are also negative effects from GMOs. Consumption of GMOs has various health effects on both body systems of animals and humans. GMOs also affect the environment, ecosystems and other animal species. The cons outweigh the pros in the case of GMOs.
Genetically modified organisms can be plants or animals that have been genetically altered to produce or express a desired characteristic or trait. By genetically altering organisms such as crops, we can eliminate the use of pesticides by making the crops resistant to insects. We can also produce crops that are resistant to floods and droughts. Furthermore, with the use of molecular genetics, we are able to produce foods that are rich in nutrients and supplements. People in developing countries may not be fortunate enough to have a full course meal that contains nutrients from all four basic food groups. However, GMOs can with a little modification provide all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals included in a good diet by simply consuming a genetically modified staple crop such as rice. In addition, by producing crops that are resistant to harsh environmental conditions as well as pests, we would see a rapid increase in the production of food thereby reducing and or!
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 organisms (GMOs) are a cause of continuous debate. What would be the purpose of producing genetically altered food? Many argue that GMOs could prove to be very beneficial, the use of GMOs could lead to advances in medicine, and agriculture, and they could also prevent famine in poor underdeveloped countries. Genetic modification offers many benefits: pest control, disease resistant crops, drought resistant crops, no use of insecticides, nutritional beneficial foods, and less contamination. This is only a short list of the many benefits offered by the used of GMOs. With so many benefits why are we opposed to such a miracle? (NERC 2005)
With the way technology has grown, especially in the field of genetic engineering, has led scientists to figure out a way to alter how food is made. This raises concerns and lot of questions regarding the methods they are using. From what possible side effects can occur to the risks it poses to everyone and everything. Unfortunately, there has been limited research and testing done. With that in mind there is not enough information available about the hazards of genetically modified foods. But, what we do know is alarming. Most of the debate surrounding GM foods are focus on the following three issues: 1. Human and environmental safety, 2. Labeling , and 3. Consumer choice. In this section of the paper I will be discussing how genetically modified food can be dangerous on the health of humans.
Do you find it important to know exactly what it is that you are consuming? If so, then maybe genetically modified organisms are not for you. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic makeup has been altered by genetic engineering (Miller and Spoolman). These combinations of genes are not possible in our natural world. The purpose of this modifying process is to produce positive characteristics and/or eliminate the undesirable ones.
Food is our source of energy. We need it to live and survive. But sometimes it is in short supply and or need to be kept stored for a long time and therefore may be genetically modified. This allows companies to produce more and make more money. Although genetically modifying food may not seem so bad, it comes with many downsides.
I chose this topic because genetically modified foods can affect me and those around me. It is crucial to be aware of what you are putting inside your body, because foods that are potentially dangerous to you can cause long term effects, like cancer and heart disease. The ongoing debate leads us to many questions about the effectiveness and ethics regarding GMOs; are they safe?
Just like the price of shipping fish is expensive, farmers have to pay to ship fruits and vegetables from all over the world. Genetically modified foods can help to decrease this extra expense because shipping will no longer be necessary. America will be able to make certain fruits and vegetables without having to rely on other countries. America will also make a bigger profit from the foods because they will not take as long to grow (Greenwood).
middle of paper ... ... Also, even though this process is beneficial by producing positive effects on plants, there is still a chance of it producing uncertain effects of genetically modified products to the environment as well as the human health. Genetically modified organisms can contaminate our environments and the big issue here is once it starts to spread, we as humans are unable to stop either the good or bad effects. The spread of antibiotic resistance, the creation of dangerous novel pathogens and diseases,the loss of biodiversity in farming, unsustainable agriculture, and the creation of new viral diseases through transfer are all harmful components of genetic engineering. This process is also considered a disadvantage because it offends religion when it questions whether man has the right to manipulate the right and coarse nature.