Essay On The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Modification

Though every major scientific regulatory oversight body in the world has concluded that GMO foods are harmless, the public remains deeply suspicious, fearing that such food may cause cancer or allergies. Caitlin Shetterly, one of the worried public, wrote an article in Elle magazine, claiming that genetically modified foods could cause allergic reactions, and that consumers face unknown and unacceptable risks from new, yet-to-be-identified allergens that our government’s monitoring program,

“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that

Imagine a newborn baby hasn´t seen the world and never will, because this baby is blind. This child’s parents worry about his/her safety. Throughout their lifetime, this child will have many obstacles. The baby could have been saved if only the family had the resources to genetically modify their baby. Retinal Information Network reports at least 242 cases of hereditary blindness. That baby is one of the 242 cases that could’ve been cured through a new technological process that changes cells in one’s body for better cells. This is genetic modification (also known as genetic engineering). Healthy lab produced cells will replace gene cells that are negative in a personś body. Many diseases can be cured with access to genetic modification. The unhealthy disease cells can be replaced or missing cells can be added to a body. By performing genetic modifications, life spans can be lengthened. Animals and humans could live longer by replacing old cells with new ones. Also, with the assistance of genetic engineering, “super humans” can be created. Heroes with “powers” on t.v. can become a reality.

When researching GMO’s and GE foods I located an article that states, “Genetic engineering can make foods that were once safe to eat a threat to people with allergies.” This process is very random and can develop in engineered foods. They also make it a point that the FDA is aware of this and they do some testing but there are no guarantees. There are many new allergies and when adding new genes into the plants and animals can cause the person to react in a way that is unknown to us.

New technological advances and scientific methods continue to change the course of nature. One of the current controversial advances in science and technology is the use of genetically modified embryos in which the study exceeds stem cell research. Scientists have begun planning for research involving human embryos in the genetic modification field. Many technological developments are responsible for improving our living standards and even saving lives, but often such accomplishments have troubling cultural and moral ramifications (Reagan, 2015). We are already beyond the days in which virtually the only procreative option was for a man and a woman to conceive the old-fashioned way (Reagan, 2015). Genetic modification of human embryos can be perceived as a positive evolution in the medical process yet it is surrounded by controversy due to ethical processes. Because this form of genetic modification could affect later born children and their offspring, the protection of human subjects should be a priority in decisions about whether to proceed with such research (Dresser, 2004). The term Human Genetic Engineering was originally made public in 1970. During this time there were several methods biologists began to devise in order to better identify or isolate clone genes for manipulation in several species or mutating them in humans.

For thousands of years, humans have transformed their surroundings and neighboring organisms to suit their needs. The transformation first took place when humans spread seeds onto the earth to grow their own food, and continued when humans reached out to provide food and shelter to other animals in exchange for labor, companionship and sustenance. When early agriculture proved successful, the best and strongest animals and crops were chosen for the next generation. This was the dawn of genetic modification, and it is as old as agriculture itself.

Although GMO can be very beneficial to human lives, it has a very short history and requires many studies to investigate all the unknown health risks and effects on humans. In the past, many research studies showed that GM foods caused many adverse health effects on humans. One of them is causing a significant increase of food allergy reaction cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), food allergies in children under the age of 18 had increased 50% between 1999 and 2011 (qtd.in Colbert). Furthermore, in the mid-1990s, there was direct evidence showing GM foods could cause serious food allergy reactions in humans. Researchers found that a type of genetically modified soybean that was engineered to contain a strain of protein from Brazil nuts caused allergic reactions in people with Brazil nut allergy (Colbert). This result has shown that GM foods have the potential to trigger some hidden allergic reactions when transferring protein from one plant to another during genetic engineering process (Colbert). Because of the consumption of GM foods causing the hidden allergic reactions in humans, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (“FAO”) and World Health Organization (“WHO”) required the GM foods to be tested for their ability

Eating GMO foods can help with your health. Insect Resistant Crops are grown widely in the USA, where an estimated to about 40%. GM maize is used in industrial-scale biofuels subsidised in the United States government. The crops are supposed to be grown with refuges of non-GM crops and plants to targeted pests developing resistance. The insects are genetically programmed to die before adulthood and are supposed to reduce the population by mating with wild insects. Environmental Protection GMOS has reduced environmental footprint

But that doesn’t mean that genetically modified foods are safe either. Furthermore,“Just because there’s no clear link that GMOs cause harm in humans doesn’t mean they’re safe.” (Miller,3) Like smoking in the 1950’s, the effects of smoking were unkown. Will we have to wait 50 years to find the adverse effects of GMOs? Genetically modified foods may also provoke new protiens, “causing new allergic reactions to the human body” (Kantor, 13) Consumers should be aware of what they are eating and how it might effect them.

Theresa Phillips said “potential health risks to humans include the possibility of exposure to new allergens in genetically modified food, as well as

Since a whopping 80 percent of processed food is genetically modified, many health issues come from GMOs. For one, in 1997 to 1999 children’s food allergies spiked 3.4 percent and from 2009 to 2011, 5.1 percent (National Center for Health Statistics.) More research conducted by Brown University states that because “Genetic enhancements often combine proteins not contained in the original organism, which can cause

Besides producing pesticide as a crop which inner of itself is astonishing, there is so much more you can do with GMOs that is beneficial to mankind and our environment. You could for example, produce plants with an increased rate of nutrients or even add additional nutrients that never ever existed in its initial state. On a larger scale, we could try to modify plants resilient

GMO foods are not the most healthy or honest foods, but they are the most helpful. Many fruits and vegetables are engineered to be resistant to bugs and diseases that could cause famine. This helps farmers all over the country by giving them a better harvest. Also, non-sanitary soil has become a large problem in some places around the world. The soil made it harder for crops to grow in certain environments. To solve this problem, scientists could take a gene from a plant that can live in these conditions, and plant it into another crop’s genome. This would make the crop that

The increased use of modifying foods like this have opened the door for multiple diseases and other major health concerns to spread around in our country. One of these problems that come from modified foods that affect many Americans today is allergies. Have you ever wondered why so many different allergies are rising in our country, and how they practically are coming out of nowhere? Well you don’t have to wonder any more as the answer is right inside your fridge, genetically modified foods! In a book by Robyn Fryen she states that “almost 75% of processed foods contain neurotoxins, novel proteins, and allergens”. As more and more foods continue to get modified, we are consuming more and more allergens, causing dozens of new allergies to be produced .(LaSalle). An example of one of these allergies that millions of americans face today is gluten. Recently, the Institute for Responsible Technology released a study stating that modified foods can lead to disorders such as intestinal permeability, imbalanced gut bacteria, and impaired digestion, which are disorders that can cause a gluten allergy and other gluten-related diseases (Walia).Gluten is not the only allergy modified foods can cause as dozens more allergies can arise from the allergens in genetically modified foods and some are still being discovered. If you ever wondered where your allergy came from, genetically modified foods are the

A crucial drawback of genetically modified organisms is that they have the potential to cause many adverse health effects in the people who consume them. Research shows that eating food that contains genetically modified organisms can potentially put a person at risk for “infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal issues, and changes in organs” (SMITH). Recently, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine encouraged doctors urge patients to