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Agricultural genetic engineering
Agricultural genetic engineering
Agricultural genetic engineering
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Recommended: Agricultural genetic engineering
Have you ever wondered how those Thanksgiving turkeys get to be so big and plump? How about those delicious fruits and vegetables? What helps them stay so fresh even after leaving the supermarket? The answer could quite possibly be genetic engineering. Years of crossbreeding various breeds of farm animals have led to many new breeds bearing traits that they would not have otherwise. Researchers have even developed techniques that make it possible to directly alter the genes of different crops. There are causes and effects of genetic engineering in animals and plants.
With the population of Earth growing at a constant rate, food is becoming more and more scarce. While the effects of this are not as pronounced in many parts of the world, harsh environments and lack of development in some societies has made it difficult to raise animals for food purposes. While in other parts of the world, specific meat demands are ever-changing. To meet these demands, farmers must find ways to breed livestock that possess certain traits (“Origins”). There is also a growing need for food with a longer shelf life so it can last longer before going bad. Since the population is on a steady rise, there has also been a demand for animals that are capable of reaching market weight in a shorter amount of time (“Genetically”). Through crossbreeding and years of research, genetic engineering has helped find solutions for many of these problems.
While genetic engineering is normally associated with laboratories and advanced technologies, farmers usually gain desired traits from their animals through some of the more primitive forms of genetic engineering: crossbreeding and inbreeding. During the Twentieth Century, market demand became the key factor in d...
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...the Hereford and Shorthorn. The main points of this particular breed were fertility, weight, hardiness, and milk production (“Origins”). Not all farmers work on land though, fish farmers also have their own set of problems that can be solved through more advanced methods of genetic engineering. Some companies have begun development of ways to genetically modify fish so that they can reach market weight more quickly. This would help reduce the amount of time fish farmers would have to spend tending to them before sending them out to market. Another approach being taken is raising their fish to inland saltwater facilities in order to reduce the chances of pollution and disease, as well as unplanned breeding with wild fish that might wander into an ocean farm (Zajac). The fruit and vegetable industries also face some of the issues that the meat industry must address.
Pamela Ronald, a plant geneticist, presented a Ted Talk “The case for engineering our food”, Ronald points out that engineered genetics for our plants is not harmful, yet better for our environment and health. “Now, genetic modification is not new; virtually everything we eat has been genetically modified in some manner”(Ronald).
The introduction to the article and the following six paragraphs are not composed of opinions or viewpoints. The general facts and methods of genetic engineering are described, and the companies behind the research are introduced. Loaded words are used in this part of the article but are not very common.
Naively, we human beings believe we live in the dazzling golden age of technological advancements. Only, news flash: we’re not. Global food insecurity is at an all-time high. We’re struggling to feed a population that rises as quickly as the mercury in my thermometer. As demand soars and food dwindles, the men in power only seem to grow in size: from their wallets to their waistlines. So, you must ask yourself: what’s the easiest way to produce high quality crops to satisfy our hunger and their lust for money and power? The answer: Genetic Modification. As the documentary Food Inc. suggests, the concept may be brilliant, but the outcome is abhorrent.
Genetic engineering on animals is the latest experimental practice used in the world of biomedical research. It has allowed the progression of human understanding towards the study of diseases and medicine. With the emergence of this technology, comes a wide range of ethical issues that need to be addressed, such as the welfare and the uncertainty of predisposed risk towards the animal. Furthermore, the current state of this practice in the United States is still new. Therefore, there is little regulation by the government along with the scientific community in enforcing specific guidelines to consider the welfare of the animals. The implication of the scarcity of regulating genetic engineering opens the possibilities of mistreatment of animals
Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy.
Deal, Walter F., and Stephen L. Baird. “Genetically Modified Foods: A Growing Need.” Technology Teacher 62.7 (2003): 18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
One’s behavior, health, disorder, and characteristics, all depend on he’s genetic code. Genetic engineering, also known has genetic modification, can have various methods, but commonly consists of alternating the DNA in an organism’s genome (Winter). Several instances of alternating the DNA in an organism comprises of changing one base pair of the organism’s DNA, removing a region of the DNA, and gene cloning (Winter). Scientist use genetic engineering to enhance and modify the characteristics of an organism (Knapton). For example, aside from the experimental purposes, the cross between Bison and beef combined each of their best quality to make one enhanced outcome. Due to the cross, the Beefalo has increased efficiency and taste, meaning they can input costs and improve profits. Other examples of genetic engineering include GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Genetic engineering, although used on animals and food for decades, only recently surfaced with concrete evidence towards working on human DNA. This groundbreaking knowledge can provide new medical advances, completely altering the emblematic
Genetic modification assign to the manipulation of the DNA by humans to change the fundamental characteristics of plants and animals. Genetic modification process happens by taking genetic material from one species and putting it into another, to allow the production of a new quality in a crop or an animal. Qualities such as: new color, new shape and new size. “In North America and Europe the value and impact of genetically engineered food crops have become subjects of intense debate, provoking reactions from unbridled optimism to fervent political opposition.” (Ackerman ,J.A, 2010) .Some people think about genetic modification that it is an essential tool for solving the starvation problem. On the other hand some people think of genetic modification as it has a huge negative effect in the human health and the environment. Genetically modified foods are everywhere around us, they are used by many people daily, although they cause dangerous health problems. Genetically modified foods affect human beings’ health and have huge negative environmental impacts.
Science and technology are rapidly advancing everyday; in some ways for the better, and in some, for worse. One extremely controversial advance is genetic engineering. As this technology has high potential to do great things, I believe the power genetic engineering is growing out of control. Although society wants to see this concept used to fight disease and illness, enhance people 's lives, and make agriculture more sustainable, there needs to be a point where a line is drawn.
The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
In less than 30 years, when the world population reaches its carrying capacity, how will we feed everyone? Unless we start planting crops on the moon or go all out for cannibalism, we’ll need some new technology to feed the world. A large portion of humans’ diet is meat. In vitro meat or artificial meat offers a way to undo the food and environmental setbacks caused by traditional meat. Someday it will be in stores and if it’s a hit it might be the solution to how to feed people.
Scientists have been changing genomes of plants and animals by integrating new genes from a different species through genetic engineering, creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). Consumers in America have been eating GMOs since 1996, when they went on the market. There are benefits to genetically modifying crop plants, as it improves the crop quality and increases yield, affecting the economy and developing countries. But there are also negative effects from GMOs. Consumption of GMOs has various health effects on both body systems of animals and humans. GMOs also affect the environment, ecosystems and other animal species. The cons outweigh the pros in the case of GMOs.
Lemaux, P.G. (2006). Introduction to genetic modification. Agricultural Biotechnology in California Series, 8178. Retrieved from http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8178.pdf
We live in a world that is constantly changing and advancing thanks to technological advancements, especially in the field of molecular genetics. Today, we are discovering and implementing new ways to overcome the ill-fated symptoms developed as a result from poor health or accidents. We are also making advancements in the field of agriculture thanks to molecular genetics. As we all know, food is an essential entity in our lives and is abundant as well as relatively easy to obtain here in the United States. However, as good as it may sound, this is not necessarily true for developing countries. Many people in developing countries receive very little food, if any, due to its scarcity. It is estimated that in Asia alone, close to 800 million people go to bed hungry every night due to food shortage. This problem can be alleviated by turning to the production of genetically modified organisms (a.k.a. GMOs).
Genetic engineering is a way in which specific genes for an animal or plant can be extracted, and reproduced to form a new animal or plant. These new organisms will express the required trait for that gene. This practice is a very controversial topic within the scientific world. It is being implemented in various areas such as agriculture, even though there are many alternatives that can be found for genetic engineered crops, such as organic materials and reducing leeching of the soil. The controversy regarding this practice occurs as it is believed to contribute both negative and positive implications and dangers, not only to oneself but the environment as a whole.