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Brianna Bates
Mrs.Stemen
BioTech
3 February 2015
The Truth about GMOs
There are many controversial issues in the world today and most of them have different
sides for different reasons. A controversial thought that the world has been battling over for a
while now is whether GMOs are healthy or not. GMOs are a scary topic, which is why people
try to ignore any thoughts about food processes. GMOs pose a threat for humans because the
process that takes place can easily mess up and cause crucial effects. The process of creating a
protein from a code of DNA is a very fragile system and could be affected by the process of
creating GMOs.
Proteins are a very important part of the body. Proteins do most of the work in the cells
by causing reactions, acting as enzymes, and being a part of structures. The process of creating
proteins is called protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is a step by step process that can easily be
destroyed. First a copy of the DNA is created in the nucleus of a cell. The copy of DNA is called
messenger RNA or mRNA. The mRNA then goes to a ribosome to pair up with transfer RNA
that carries amino acids. The order of the amino acids creates the final product, a protein chain,
based off the code of the mRNA. All DNA is unique, and if it gets ruined there isnt a safe way to
fix it. There is a risk of DNA being damaged in the process of creating GMOs (Stemen).
The process for genetic engineering is a very fragile thing. The steps are extremely
detailed when carrying out the process. First find an organism that naturally has the trait that is
desired. Once a desired trait is found, take the DNA from the organism that contains the trait.

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After being extracted from the organism, the gene that contains the desired trait needs to be
located and copied. People often slightly modify the gene so that it works in a way more
desirable to them. The new gene, otherwise known as a transgene, is put into a bacterium that is
then inserted into a cell of an organism of selection. The bacterium spreads from cell to cell
while the transgene is in it. Normally after a GMO is produced scientists try breeding it to
improve the characteristics (Golick 1). After being introduced to the process, it is clear that there
are many things that could go wrong and cause damage to any organism that is associated with
the GMO.
GMOs are a risk to humans because of the effects that occur on the body. American
Academy of Environmental Medicine ran some tests on animals and found that there is evidence
of physical effects on the animals that were affected by GMOs. The physical affects were
immune dysregulation, altered liver function, and changes in the pancreas, kidney, and spleen
(Dempsey 1). The affects the GMOs had on the animals could easily happen to any human
being, and that isnt healthy for anyone. Another test that provides evidence for GMOs being
healthy is the one that was run in 2011 on Quebec woman. There were 69 women, 30 of which
were pregnant, who had blood tests that showed there were pesticides circulating through the
bodies of the fetus and . The pesticides that were found in these women were all associated with
GMOs (Dempsey 1). These are only two tests that explain my reasoning, but there are many
others.
The mistakes made during the process of genetic engineering can easily mess up the
process of creating proteins, and I believe it also affects humans in a negative way. The little
babies who, before they were even born, were affected by GMOs in a negative way are a perfect

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example of how GMOs are dangerous. GMOs can ruin lives before you even realize it. You
may not think they are that dangerous, but in reality the test prove otherwise.

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Works Cited
Dempsey, Jeff. "Genetically Modified Food - Pros and Cons." Carrington. Carrington College,
29 Oct. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.
Golick, Doug. "UNL's AgBiosafety for Educators." UNL's AgBiosafety for Educators. University
of Nebraska, 2005. Web. 04 Feb. 2015
Stemen, Ashley. Protein Synthesis VNT Huntington North High School, Huntington,
Indiana.20 Jan. 2015. Lecture.