Biology and Technology in the Real World Biology and Technology in the Real World

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

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BIOL 103 7980

The purpose of genetic engineering crops and domestic animals is the benefit of being able to great the and a cheaper price which in turn gives the producer greater profit it also is done for a more reliable product. They can create a product that has greater resistance to disease.

“Some benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture are increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the world’s growing population.” (Phillips, 2008)

They can even create vibrant and colorful animals like the ones I own, Glofish are the first and only genetically modified animals that are sold commercially in the United States. These common tropical fish have the genes of jellyfish and other organisms that give them a florescent color

Genetic engineering is the transfer of one or more gene is moved to another organism to create or improve an organism like the fish I own they can even do it with food for instance scientist can take DNA from and apple and manipulate it so that the apple will not bruise or brown even after being cut into.

There are only a select few crops that are approved to be produced in the United States; the major genetically modified crop is corn, which is mostly use to feed livestock, but can also be found in processed foods. Soybeans are the second largest genetically modified produced crops followed by cotton, potato, alfalfa, canola, papaya, squash, apple and sugar beet. Currently not many of these products will show up on our shelves at our supermarkets by themselves but instead are ingredients in products on our shelves but as time goes on and the FDA approves more we could expect to see more genetically modified crops in our stores. “More than 90% of all soybean cotton and corn acreage in the U.S. is used to grow genetically engineered crops.” (Johnson, 2015)

Whether genetically modified organisms are safe for human consumption is a big topic and has a lot of controversy behind it as the are many studies that show they are safe where they have been feeding animals Genetically modified organisms for over 20 years and no side effects. There are experts who also say that there are many studies showing that they cause harm to the liver, kidneys and heart. “Different GM organisms include different genes inserted in different ways. This means that individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that it is not possible to make general statements on the safety of all GM foods.” (Phillips, 2008)

There are many regulations on genetically modified organisms and three different agencies have a say in these regulations the Environmental Projection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture since genetically modified organisms do not fall into just one category. The EPA regulated pesticides side of it while the FDA is responsible for the safety of consumption by humans.

So while there can be many beneficial outcomes and much we gain from genetic engineering like new and exciting fish for our fish tanks or cheaper produce at our grocery stores we must also be carefully with this technology as there can be many disadvantages that can come from it like the unknown health concerns that come from it or even weeds that are immune to pesticides which has previously been discovered. I do not think we should abandon research and progression of genetically modified organisms but I do think we should proceed with caution and examine it from all angles before releasing it to the public.

References

Phillips, T (2008) Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology

Retrieved from: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732

http://time.com/3840073/gmo-food-charts/