Genetically Modified Organisms and Food
analytical Essay
950 words
The term GMO or Genetically Modified Organism refers to an individual form of life in which the genome is changed or modified through genetic engineering. In other words, the DNA from an organism is modified in a laboratory and then inserted into another organism’s genome for the purpose of producing positive traits that would be useful, creating a new organism. This science of genetic manipulation has been utilized for many different purposes. One important area in which it is controversial is agriculture. Specific issues regarding this technology involve human and environmental safety as well as ethical and conservation concerns.
A common example of a GMO plant would be Monsanto’s Roundup® Ready Corn. One of the methods the Monsanto Company genetically engineers this plant is through soil bacterial and E.coli bacteria. After several years of research, Monsanto discovered a specific soil bacterium which was naturally immune to Roundup® herbicide. The next step in their process was to genetically engineer this bacteria’s DNA into various plants so they, too, could be Roundup® resistant or ‘Roundup® Ready’. This is important because Roundup® herbicide kills all types of plants, weeds and crops alike. Engineers cut out the sequence of DNA from the soil bacteria which is resistant to Roundup®. If this DNA sequence alone is applied to the corn plant it will have no effect. The next step involves E.coli bacteria. Gaps are created in the E.coli DNA and when the soil bacteria and E.coli are introduced to one another some of the E.coli DNA recombines with the Roundup® resistant bacteria. Then, the bio technician smuggles the engineered DNA into the cells of the corn plant they want to modify. Cells will naturally reject foreign DNA so th...
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... Problems With GMOs. Retrieved February 23, 2012 , from www.ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/info_8181702_problems-gmo.html
Fernandez-Cornejo, J. (2011, July 1). Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from usda.gov: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/biotechcrops/
Goldstein, K., & Emami, G. (2011, May 25). Huff Post Green. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from www.huffingtonpost.com: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/monsantos-gmo-corn-linked_n_420365.html
Koons, D. (Director). (2004). The Future of Food [Motion Picture].
Main, E. (2011, March 28). Concerned Consumers Nationwide Demand GMO Labeling . Retrieved February 22, 2012, from www.rodale.com: http://www.rodale.com/labeling-gmo-foods
Monsanto Company. (2011). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from www.monsanto.com: http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/food-safety.aspx
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the term gmo or genetically modified organism refers to an individual form of life in which the genome is changed or modified through genetic engineering.
- Explains that monsanto's roundup ready corn is genetically engineered through soil bacterial and e.coli bacteria.
- Cites main, e. (2011, march 28). concerned consumers nationwide demand gmo labeling.
- Argues that there are serious consequences regarding genetically modified foods due to the lack of labeling.
- Cites brown, k., fernandez-cornejo, j. and emami, g. (2011, may 25).
Related
- opinionated
- explanatory
- argumentative
- analytical
- Modified America Food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. Every day we make choices on what we put in to our bodies. There are countless varieties of food to choose from to meet the diverse tastes of the increasing population. Almost all food requires a label explaining the ingredients and the nutritional value allowing consumers to make informed decisions on what they are consuming. However, many may not be considering where that food is coming from or how it has been produced.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. gm food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions.
- Explains that gmos are genetically engineered with dna from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. the purpose of the process is to create a new beneficial trait such as creating its own pesticide or making it immune to herbicides.
- Explains that monsanto is a multinational chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation that was founded in 1901.
- Analyzes how monsanto has developed crops that are able to withstand several different herbicides instead of just one. the use of more and more chemicals is exactly what the biotech companies want.
- Explains that gm crops are putting farmers out of business. biotechnology seed companies like dupont/pioneer hi-bred, syngenta, monsanto, dow and bayer, as well as a few more, control 71 percent of the seed market.
- Opines that farmers have no choice but to buy gm seeds and eliminate the ways they have grown crops for centuries.
- Argues that gm food increases crop yields and can end world hunger, but there is no evidence that supports these claims. conventionally grown food produces high yielding, pest resistant, and climate tolerant crops at a much cheaper price.
- Opines that the u.s. is leading the way in the production and distribution of gm foods ignoring the demands of the public.
- Explains that 80 percent of processed food in a typical grocery store has gm ingredients.
- Opines that while gmos are showing potential advances in how we produce our food, the technology is still in its infancy. long term ongoing research needs to be done on all gm food until it is proven safe for people and the environment.
1669 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Organisms and Why They Should Be Bannedexplanatory essayGenetically modified organisms, or GMOs for short, are defined as plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their genes altered through genetic engineering using the application of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) technology. This kind of genetic engineering began in the early 1970s when DNA was isolated from a bacterium, duplicated, and inserted into another bacterium. The resulting DNA, known as rDNA, allows researchers to transfer genetic material from one organism to another. Researchers can now identify the genes that are responsible for a desired trait and reorganize or insert them from the cells of one bacterium, a plant, or animal into the cells of other bacteria, plants, or animals. What this process is trying to achieve is to produce a new species or an improved version of ones that already exist (Brown, 2011).
In this essay, the author
- States dahl, r., "to label or not to label: california prepares to vote on genetically engineered products."
- Explains that mazza, soave, morlacchini, and piva (2009) assessed the transfer of genetically modified dna from feed to animal tissues.
- States smith, m. (2012). gmo reality check: recent news and telling signs that more people are moving.
- Describes genetically modified organisms as plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their genes altered through recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology.
1690 wordsRead More - The Danger of Genetically Modified Organismsargumentative essayIn general, GMOs are when the DNA of one organism is extracted and added to another plant or organism’s DNA. This means that when GMOs occur is when an organism has had its genetic makeup manipulat...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the government should regulate gmos by requiring labeling of such foods.
- Explains that farmers have manipulated plants and animals to obtain more desirable results. the big difference with gmos is the form the cross happens.
- Explains that gmos are when the dna of one organism is extracted and added to another plant or organism’s dna.
- Explains that the biotechnology industry has done well to keep gmos unregulated by the idea that "if a new food is substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food."
- Describes the discovery of enormous tumors in rats fed with gm corn. ninety-four percent of them take effect on the mammary gland, which would equate to breast cancer.
- Analyzes how the graph (y-axis being the number of tumors and x-axes the days being studied) on the left illustrates that the rats with normal diet suffered far less cancers than rats with gmo diet
- Explains that morgellons disease is a mysterious condition that gives rise to fiber-like growths on the skin. recent research suggests that the fibers are biological with floral roots, and could be from cross contamination of dna
- Explains that most ge crops are altered to produce their own pesticide in the form of bacillus thuringiensis (bt).
- Quotes joe satran's article, "genetically engineered food labeling taken on by congress in right-to-know act," which is a better proposal than prop. 37 because it is more straight forward and does not allow for exceptions.
- Concludes that gmos are not safe for consumption and should be regulated by the government by requiring products to be labeled if they are or not present.
- States that the food and drug administration has issued a statement of policy regarding food derived from new plant varieties.
1114 wordsRead More - The Controversy of Genetically Modified Cropsanalytical essayYou may know about the emerging field of biotechnology - the medicine, the ethics, the DNA, the Human Genome, etc. But few realize the emergence of its agricultural branch, and the international conflict that has arisen from it. It may apply to you more than you thought, for half of the soybean products and a quarter of the corn you ate in 1999 may have been genetically modified (Kaufman A6). Genetically modified crops (commonly referred to as GMOs) are crops whose characteristics have been altered to produce a favorable trait, whether it be prolonged freshness, a more attractive appearance, or pesticide resistance (Activist 1). Genetic alteration is the act of inserting a gene, which contains specific DNA (usually from another species), into an organism so that it will produce a protein to create a specific trait. Many have argued over the ethical appropriateness of the issue, but this time new concerns come into view. Many consumers all over the world are worried about human safety, environmental preservation, and international trade.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that genetically modified crops are crops whose characteristics have been altered to produce favorable traits, such as prolonged freshness, an attractive appearance, or pesticide resistance.
- Argues that the argument between the united states and the european union (eu) has dominated the controversy.
- Argues that bio-engineering is a new and efficient way of increasing crop production without increasing costs, time, or labor.
- Opines that the eu food safety rule may cost africa $700 million in trade.
- Explains charles marwick's "thesis article." e-mail to kate pielemeier. "genetically modified crops feed ongoing controversy."
- Explains that foods safe?" fda consumer. v34 i1 p.18. u.s. government printing office.
- Argues that the united states is the leading producer, manufacturer, buyer, and seller of genetically modified (gm) foods.
1402 wordsRead More - Benefits of Genetically Modified Organismsanalytical essay...nd the global politics of food. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001. Print. Mather, Robin. "The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods." Mother Earth News 251 (2012): 42. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 May 2012.Nestle, Marion. Safe food: bacteria, biotechnology, and bioterrorism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. Print. Whitman, Deborah B. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Apr. 2000. Web. 08 May 2012. Powell, Douglas, ”Genetically Modified Foods Should not be Labeled.” National Post (22 June 2001). Rpt in Genetic Engineering Ed. James D. Torr Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 09 May 2012.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gmo's are genetically modified organisms, which have been used for centuries to create useful products, such as wine, bread, and antidotes in the medical field.
- Analyzes how nova's movie, harvest of fear, explains how scientists insert genes or proteins into the dna of another plant to modify one gene out of thousands. mutation in nature is a good process.
- Explains that the use of genetic engineering on organisms first came about in the 1970's when they used bacteria to produce proteins.
- Argues that the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the minor repercussions, such as better taste and less damage to the product.
- Explains that these "miracle foods" are resistant to almost all pests, such as bacillus thuringiensis, or bt, which has reduced insecticide sprays by 46 million pounds annually since 1996.
- Explains that genetically modified foods have the potential to solve many world issues and tribulations, such as world hunger.
- Opines that the pessimism towards gmo's could be contributed from a lot of this erroneous information.
- Opines that genetically modified foods should not be discriminated against and banned from our diet.
- Analyzes how genetic engineering is changing what we eat, how we live, and the global politics of food.
- Explains that "gmo | life is fare." one woman's approach to living life to the fullest by eating happy food.
1908 wordsRead More - The Problem of Genetically Modified Foodsanalytical essayContrary to popular belief, the field of biotechnology is not new by any means. Archeological evidence shows that ancient Egyptians produced beer by steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting it with yeast, thus, the first form of biotechnology. Flash-forward to the mid-1800’s, scientists, with the help of Gregor Mendel’s laws of genetics, were able to successfully practice “selective breeding” amongst their crops. With this, the field of biotechnology took a huge turn. Scientists now had the understanding necessary to manipulate plants and mate them based on their desired traits. However, until recently, this was all done naturally, through plant-to-plant cross-fertilization. Nowadays, this process can occur instantly, with no need to wait for the natural life cycle of a plant. After a few groundbreaking discoveries, it became apparent that society could greatly benefit from the genetic altercation of these biological resources and consequently, biotechnology boomed.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that biotechnology is not new by any means. ancient egyptians produced beer by steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting it with yeast.
- Explains that biotechnologists can manipulate the actual dna of an organism using enzymes to copy, cut and paste genes in any location or order we please.
- Opines that genetically modified food isn't the answer to world hunger. it's a temporary fix that will cause more problems in the future.
- Explains that people disagree on the use of genetically modified foods for environmental, political, sociological, economical, and ethical reasons.
- Argues that biotechnology could be used to alter the genes of certain crops that would allow them to be grown in spite of extreme weather conditions.
- Explains that agricultural biotechnology (a lot more than just gm crops) is a lot more than just genetically modified crops.
1780 wordsRead More - Gmo Pros And Consexplanatory essayGMOs or “genetically modified organisms” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Most GMO crops today have been developed to resist certain insect pests. There are GMO plants being developed today to produce specific vitamins, resist plant viruses and even produce products for medical uses GMO is made by taking bits of DNA from different kinds of organisms and attempt to splice them together to get a new, better product. For example, tomatoes that are resistant to frost, canola, soybeans and wheat that is resistant to herbicides.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gmos are plants or animals that have been genetically modified with dna from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals.
- Opines that gmos can be a risk to human health and safety, since they aren't labeled with the source of foreign genes, and pesticide-producing crops contaminate nearby streams.
- Explains why they are against the use of gmos and how they affect human health. genetically modified plants can lower nutritional quality by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible for humans.
- Explains that gmo foods can increase toxicity and decrease the nutritional value of a plant, and it can worsen the diseases we have.
645 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Foodsexplanatory essayMost foods in the United States have become genetically modified over the years, in fact, experts say that 60- 70% of processed foods on U.S. grocery store shelves have genetically modified(GM) ingredients. (Web MD, 2013) Due to the fact that the US is the leading producer in these genetically modified crops, there is a large amount of controversy surrounding whether or not these things are safe. Some of these concerns are that not many people really know what they are, why they have been modified, if it is safe to consume these products, and how they actually modify the ingredients to these foods. However, many people often assume things and make false arguments without doing research on the topic of genetically modified foods in the first place.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that most foods in the united states have become genetically modified over the years. there is a large amount of controversy surrounding whether or not these things are safe.
- Explains that genetically modified foods are foods with genetic material that has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally.
- Explains that gm food skeptics should be aware of toxicity, allergenicity, gene stability, nutritional effects, and outcrossing.
- Explains that genetically modified foods have been approved through health assessments, but are still being tested to ensure that no new health risks develop over time.
- Explains the steps involved in the genetic modification of crops, which include isolation, insertion, plant transformation, selection, and regeneration.
- Explains the process of regeneration by placing the plant parts onto media that contains nutrients that promotes cells to develop into plantlets.
1338 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Organismsexplanatory essayDid you know that Genetically Modified Organisms are found in sixty to eighty percent of processed foods and that the United States Food and Drug Administration does not test any of these foods beforehand to see if they are safe to consume? (Wohlers 73). Genetically Modified Organisms are defined as organisms whose DNA has been changed in a way that would not naturally occur. The purpose of developing these genetically modified organisms was to improve produce by creating an increased tolerance to disease. While it is great to want to keep diseases out of our foods, the science of altering our food has no guarantees that it will actually protect against disease and has the potential to actually damage our bodies, environment, and economy. There are sixty-two major countries that require genetically modified foods to be labeled, unfortunately the United States is not one of them (Wohlers 73). Most of these countries have deemed that genetically modified organisms have a much higher risk than benefit, because something could so easily go wrong, such as an allergic reaction to whatever was pumped into the food. Luckily, Americans have begun to be more conscious of what they are eating and how it negatively affects their bodies and economy. Therefore, a debate has been sparked on whether genetically modified organisms should be required to be labeled as such when you purchase food.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that genetically modified organisms are found in sixty to eighty percent of processed foods and that the united states food and drug administration does not test any of these foods beforehand.
- Explains the negative effects of genetically modified organisms on the body, such as toxins being added to food.
- Explains that consumer surveys and experiments reveal and conceal consumer preferences for genetically modified foods.
- Cites smith, j., institute for responsible technology, and wohlers, a. e.
1334 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of GMO Food?opinionated essayA GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process, where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and forced into the genes of another unrelated plant or animal.Foreign genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. They are usually altered to improve the plant or animal 's ability to grow in non-native
In this essay, the author
- Opines that even though many people haven't heard about gmos, they have probably eaten them at some point in their life.
- Explains that gmos are the result of a laboratory process where genes from the dna of one species are extracted and forced into the genes of another unrelated plant or animal.
- Explains that in 2013 the demand for non-gmo products skyrocketed and all products labeled as organic increased by 80%. companies who oppose the gmo labeling claim that it spends too much money.
- Argues that the argument that humans have been using products that contain gmos is invalid because the time frame of the research has been too short to notice long-term effects.
- Explains that the use of insecticides has declined since gmo crops were introduced in the mid-1990s, but herbicide use has soared.
- Explains that mandatory labeling would add less than a penny to grocery bills, citing industry-financed studies suggesting that food prices would soar, but the consumers union analysis found that the median cost that might be passed on to consumers was just $2.30 per person annually.
- Opines that gmo foods should be labeled with the government's seal, and that there is not enough research to prove that they are safe.
- Opines that it is your decision on what you want to eat, so live your life the way you desire.
1349 wordsRead More