Genetically Modified Foods

My topic is genetically modified foods. When a food plant is genetically

modified scientists take away a gene or more from an animal or virus and then

they put it back into the DNA of the plant they want to alter. With adding the

genes, scientist hope the plant will show the traits associated with the genes.

One example, if scientist have taken genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, a

bacterium, and put it into corn. Bacillus thuringiensis produces a protein that

eliminates bugs. So by putting those genes in the corn it allow the corn to make

its own pesticide.

One technique that is used is the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

This bacterium is able to transfer DNA to plants. Another method is the Gene

Gun. This technique shoots microscopic particles coated with DNA into the plant

cell.

There has been much research on genetically modified foods. The main

research is the safety of gmo foods. Genetically modifying a plant is putting

genes from one organism into the plant and hoping the crop will show traits. The

thing about putting those genes in is that scientist do not know where they go.

This could harm or damage the function of other genes. The theory of Central

Dogma is what genetic modification is based on which states that one gene will

express one protein. This statement is false. Scientists have researched and
discovered that genes work in a complicated system in that are not fully

understood.

There have been many concerns of genetically modified foods causing

cancer, gluten disorder, genetically modified corn causing rat tumor, and more.

There have been many worries that genetically modified crops are toxic and are

not edible. With research many of these claims have been proven wrong.

Genetically modified plants have help increase food production. Crop yields are

reducing by the action of parasites and insects. Genetically Modified crops that

are expressing Bacillus thuringiensis have been successful with resisting insects.

In the next 40 years, it is predicted that the world's population will double.

With the population doubling, over 95% of individuals will be being born in

developing countries. In order to meet the demands, the production of food is

estimated to be increased by at least 40%. Genetically modified plants is one of

the ways that well be able to meet these demands. Genetically modifying plants

and crops from pest and insects and parasites will keep crops from dying and will

increase the food production.

Theres many pros and cons to genetically modified food. The pros are food

production, pest resistant, and insect resistant. The cons are toxins put into the

plant, the changing of genes and allergies.

 In my opinion i believe the research for genetically modified food should

keep going. Genetically modified food hasn't killed or harmed anyone.

Genetically modified foods in the future will increase food production. Also it can

increase nutritional content. Genetically Modifying technology can engineer

plants to express products that can combat malnutrition. The Golden Rice

Project is a great example of this. The strategy of the Golden Rice Project was

to introduce the correct metabolic steps into rice endosperm to allow -carotene

synthesis (Genetically modified plants and human health)

Economically genetically modified plants have their risks. They will sexually

hybridize with non-gm plants through the transfer of pollen, become invasive

weeds, and conditions required to grow genetically modified plants will affect

local wildlife populations. it has been reported that GM herbicide-resistant

creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L) planted in Oregon, USA, was found

up to 3.8 km outside the designated area of cultivation. The authors of the study

postulated that this dispersal was a result of both pollen-mediated sexual

crossing with plants in the wild, and GM crop seed dispersal. (Genetically

modified plants and human health) There might be one good role genetically

modified plants play in the environment. This role is selective removal of

pollutants, this is also known as phytoremediation. Plants have been have been

genetically engineered to grow in contaminated sites and to remediate

contamination. One thing has to be stopped and that is the gene transfer in the

environment. The first idea used to prevent this from happening are physical

isolation and genetic containment. This idea can be very costly but also must be

carried out at every stage of production

Genetically Modified plants and crops, they can speed up food production

and make food malnutrition. Genetically modification has it perks and i think we

should keep doing studies and research until we know 100% of what we are

dealing with. There has been many studies that genetically modified foods have

cause cancer or made cancer cell reproduction rapid and have caused many

other things. These studies have all been denied because the data was weak

and non-sufficient. So this research should keep going because it isn't hazardous

and has many pros that if it turns out ot a success will be very useful for the U.S.

and other countries.

I conclude my argument to say that genetically modified is food that needs

to be studied and produce. There is a lot of pros towards this topic and i believe

they should keep running test and getting more answers. Genetically modified

foods has the potential to rapidly produce food for the whole world if kept studied

and kept running test.