1. What is a genetically modified organism? How has recombinant DNA technology pushed the boundaries in terms of what can be done?2. Why are GMOs becoming more and more necessary?3. How have GMOs already provided benefits to the human race?4. What is your stance on genetic modification? Is it okay for some purposes but not others? Genetically modified crops are a topic of intense debate that have sparked a lot ofcontroversy over the years, fueled largely through a lack of understanding andvast amounts of misinformation. Do we need GM crops? Are they dangerous?This article is going to give a brief overview of this huge topic and also discusssome of the myths and facts of GMOS.What Are GMOS?Humans have been modifying the genomes (set of genetic instructions) of plantsand animals for our benefit for thousands of years using a process knownas artificial selection, or selective breeding. This involves selecting organisms withdesirable traits and breeding them so that certain characteristics are perpetuated(made to continue). This could be a teacup dog, a cow with improved milkproduction or a fruit without seeds. However, this is limited to naturally occurringvariations, which is where genetic engineering has found a place.Genetic engineering allows us to introduce genes into an organism from atotally unrelated species which is commonly carried out on crops, agricultural animals and bacteria. Thesegenetically modified organisms (GMOS) are designed for many reasons, including: pesticide and diseaseresistance, drought/frost resistance, increased yields, enhanced nutritional content and as a way to producedrugs or vaccines at low cost on a large scale.When most people consider GMOS they think of agriculture, but the medical implications are wide ranging. Forexample, genetically engineered bacteria now produce insulin, saving the lives of millions of type 1 diabetics.Genetic engineering, which involves creating recombinant (joined together) DNA, involves splicing togethergenes through the use of enzymes, which all a chosen species to acquire the benefits that a particular genecould afford a crop or medicine.Why Do We Need GMOS?While it is true that a major problem with feeding an over burgeoning (increasing rapidly) global populationrelates to the distribution of the food that we do produce, if population growth does not slow down then weare going to need to find new ways to meet food demands. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UNhas estimated that we will need to grow 70% more food by 2050.There are several ways that this could be achieved. We could destroy valuable rainforests to make way foragricultural land, but I don't need to go into the reasons why we should not do this. We could stop eating asmuch meat, given that the crop calories we feed to animals could meet the calorie needs of 4 billion people,but few are willing to do this and meat consumption has quadrupled in the last 50 years. We could invest morein hydroponics (growing crops efficiently indoors, without soil), which is what many countries are looking into.Or we could create GM crops. Many things threaten food security, such as crop or animal diseases, pests and climate change. Weather isbecoming more unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming commonplace, which is taking its toll onfarmers worldwide. The idea behind many GMOS is to address these problems. The creation of GM cropsallows humans to stay "ahead of the curve" when it comes to mother nature, while enabling a sophisticatedcollection of crops to possess traits conducive (make certain) to successful production.Examples of GM CropsAn excellent example is golden rice. Around 250 million children arevitamin A-deficient in the world, which kills and blinds millions eachyear. While supplement distribution programs exist, they'reexpensive and difficult to sustain. The solution? Golden rice.Researchers added two genes to white rice, one from a soilbacterium and another from the daffodil, which synthesize aprecursor of vitamin A called beta-carotene. This pigment makesvarious foods orange and hence makes the rice appear golden. Thedaffodil gene was later swapped for a corn gene to further increasethe amount of beta-carotene produced.White rice is a staple food in many countries but it's not usually a source of vitamin A. One bowl of golden ricemeets 60% of a child's daily vitamin A needs. However, this product has been met with significant opposition,especially from Greenpeace (a well-known environmental group), mainly because many people believe it willlead to widespread acceptance of GMO. The fact remains: it's a viable (capable of working) solution to a realworld problem. It was also developed by foundation-funded academic researchers and a nonprofitorganization, not a big private corporation.You may also be surprised to find out that around 85% of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. Soy isalso heavily genetically modified; one particular soybean was engineered to produce high levels of oleic acid|because it is thought that this may lower LDL cholesterol, or "bad cholesterol."Start of Section 2Controversies Surrounding GMOSThere are many controversies surrounding this topic. Some are complete myths, while others raise valid issues.LabelingIt is estimated that as much as 90% of commodity crops (those that are bought and sold) used in the U.S.sfood supply are genetically modified. Few people are aware of the extent of GMOS because the food industrydoes not label them through fear of sparking safety concerns in customers. Some have suggested that labelingwould be like putting a skull and crossbones on packaging; however, people argue that they should be able toknow what they are eating so that they can make an informed choice.Mandatory label laws have come into place in certain countries, but they have not resulted in the anticipatedreaction. Instead, they have led to an increased pressure for retailers to stop stocking GM products which hasreduced consumer choice and at times raised prices. It should be stressed that despite decades of testing,there is no evidence that genetically modified foods are intrinsically more dangerous or worse for you thanunmodified food. Transparency is a hallmark of good science, but when the public does not fully understandthe topic it can fuel fear. Mandatory labeling is therefore a complex issue with valid points from both sides."GMO" is a fairly meaningless term when applied alone. Genetic modification is just a technique; it is notInherently dangerous. As with all techniques, it's how it's used that matters.

Genetically modified organism or GMO: These are the organisms with superior characters made with…

Answered: genetically modified organism

11th Edition

ISBN:9780134580999

Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...