The Danger of Genetically Modified Organisms
argumentative Essay
1114 words
How well do we know the food we are eating? Ever wondered whether these foods are safe? In the recent years, people have become more aware of how genetically modified foods have substituted our diets with altered foods -- to which little we know about the long term effects on humans. These food being fed to us is called Genetic Modified Organism or GMOs. Just in 2012, prop 37 was proposed in California, which would have required labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food, with some exceptions. Although this prop did not pass, it did however raise the awareness. When one thinks about GMOs, it does not seem like a hot issue, but it still deserves some attention because it has to do with people’s health and people deserve to know what they are eating. Consequently, the Government should regulate GMOs by requiring labeling of such foods. Throughout history, farmers have manipulated plants and animals to obtain more desirable results. Mules, that can do more work than horses and are faster and smarter than donkeys, are a great example of how farmers have crossed a male donkey with a female horse and obtained a such offspring. The big difference with GMOs is the form the cross happens. Going back to my previous example, we have a donkey and a horse,both animals and the cross happens by natural breeding. In the other hand, as the name suggest, GMOs modify the genetic makeup of an organism many times crossing genes of animals with plants creating a variant, quite different from the original specie. This creates mutated or altered foods. In 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... ... middle of paper ... ...://vwordpress.stmarys-ca.edu/lkw3/research-paper/ Prop 37 http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/37/#content GMO Edu http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education Docs Warn http://www.responsibletechnology.org/doctors-warn 10 reasons why say no to GMOs http://www.beyondpesticides.org/gmos/reportsandpublications/gmofactsheet.php FDA (1992). Statement of policy: Foods derived from new plant varieties. Food and Drug Administration. Fed. Reg. 57, 22984–23002. http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/71/1/2.full#ref-13 Morgellosn disease New York http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/lyme-disease-morgellons-disease-and-gmo-connected-3 "Skin Disease May Be Linked to GM Food", Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country, Oct. 12, 2007. Strieber, W. (2007). Skin Disease Might be Linked to GM Food. Retrieved from http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=6486
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.
Related
- opinion
- explanatory
- analytical
- 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. Unfortunately, there is more to food than meets the eye. Since 1992, “ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that genetically modified foods were ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GM counterparts” (Why to Support Labeling). GM food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions and eventually put an end to world hunger in anticipation of the growing population. There is very little evidence to support these claims and study after study has proven just the opposite. GM crops are not only unsafe to consume, but their growing practices are harmful to the environment, and multinational corporations are putting farmers out of business.
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 - Gmo Pros And Consexplanatory essayThe issue of genetically modified food affects every one regardless of age, race or geographical location. You are what you eat. What a person puts into his or her body essentially impacts their health as a whole. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are found in almost every food except for whole, organic foods labeled as GMO free. Genetically altered foods have benefits and disadvantages. The choice of being an opponent or a proponent to genetically enhanced foods is ultimately up to the consumer. Seed producing companies such as Monsanto have a monopoly over how our food is produced and what is acceptable and safe for human and animal consumption. The lack of labeling of foods that contain GMOs sparks controversy with people who believe they have a right to know exactly what they’re eating and if it is safe for their health. This is an issue that affects any person eating food so it is important for one to know the pros and cons of GMOs. I will highlight the supporting arguments for genetically modified food and in contrast I will describe the risks associated with GMO consumption.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that scientists have made breakthrough discoveries on the genetic level of altering foods for a variety of positive reasons.
- Explains the toxicity and synthesis of toxic agents in gmos and the adverse health risks associated with them.
- Argues that sufficient labeling of all food to cite whether or not the food contains gmos would be fair so the people that care about whats going into their bodies have the ability to know.
- Explains that insufficient testing and experimentation is another negative effect associated with gmos. animals do not react the same way to things as humans do.
- Explains that animal studies indicate serious adverse health risks associated with the consumption of gm food, such as infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging and faulty insulin regulation. labeling needs to be widely accepted and used across north and south america.
- Explains the benefits and disadvantages of genetically modified foods, highlighting the supporting arguments and describing the risks associated with gmo consumption.
- Explains that supporters and critics have varying motivations on using gmo or non-gmo food.
- Explains the adverse health risks associated with gmos such as resistance to antibiotics, oversimplification of complex cells, and insertional mutagenesis.
2101 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Organismsexplanatory essayImagine living on a farm. It is cold most of the year, but for a few months you are able to grow some corn to feed your family, and occasionally if you are lucky you can sell it in town to make some money. It is hard work for what seems like a little reward. You must often deal with insects eating many of the corn stalks, and your corn doesn’t do well in cold temperatures, so you must harvest it before the cold weather starts again. You have to plow much of your field to plant this corn, and it takes much effort to look after it. Then a man gives you some seeds. He calls it genetically modified corn. You plant it and the next year and the year after that there is no need to worry about pest, because the pesticides you used no longer harm your plants. Your growing season is longer and you have much more corn on the same area of land and you can now sell your corn in the market regularly. It seems like a good thing to have a GMO on your land.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how they grow corn on a farm and sell it in town to make some money. they explain that it's hard work to harvest it, and that the pesticides no longer harm the plants.
- Defines a gmo as an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.
- Explains that genetically modified organisms have many advantages, such as being resistant to pests and pesticides.
- Explains that the food and agriculture organization of the united nations educates those who inquire about the potential disadvantages of gmos.
- Explains that the farmer must buy new seeds every couple of years in order to have any crops at all. the fear of gmos creates problems elsewhere in the globe as much of europe purchases their produce from third world countries.
- Opines that they support the idea of genetically modified organisms as a noble cause that has the potential to fix many of the world's problems.
- Opines that too early may be too late: ecological risks associated with the use of naked dna as a biological tool.
1137 wordsRead More - The Pros And Cons Of Genetically Modified Organismsopinion essayWhat are GMO’s? GMO’s are genetically modified organisms whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. Then they do this so that they can have an all around better plant or animal. Then the animals or plants produce more than they would normally produce without the GMO’s.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gmo's are genetically modified organisms whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its dna contains one or more genes not normally found there.
- Explains that gmo’s can be good depending on how you use them. some are good like the production of corn and other things.
- Opines that gmo's can be harmful and that some people are scared to use them.
- Opines that most people don't know that almost everything has gmo's. they can help us keep growing and feeding with plants and other things.
334 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Organismsexplanatory essayGenetically modified Organism's have been prominate in our food supply for over twenty years. Over these years the way we produce livestock and produce has dramatically changed for the worst. GMO’s were created in a lab, where Scientist would literally force foreign DNA into a crop. This completely changes the genetic makeup of these crop. Why do they do this? They wanted to make a crop more resistant to weather, bugs, and lasted longer. The FDA allowed companies, like Monsanto, to add them to our food supply without any significant testing. Twenty years later research is showing that GMO’s are causing allergies, tumors, and digestive health. This change is irreversible and affecting everything around us.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that genetically modified organisms have been prominate in our food supply for over twenty years. the fda allowed companies like monsanto to add them without any significant testing.
- Explains that technology has changed the way we live, but not all things were good. scientists experimented with new ways to improve the genetic makeup of crops.
- Explains that the human body doesn't know what to do with gmo's because they would never form naturally on earth. when we eat gm foods our body creates antibodies to try and fight off these toxic chemicals.
- Explains that in the 18th century, people started cross-breeding, which produced stronger plants and better fruit and vegetable production.
- Explains that genetically engineered plants are dangerous to humans and livestock, and the environment.
- Describes poulter, sean, "cancer row over gm foods." daily mail.
- Explains that the top genetically modified foods are corn, soy, cotton, canola, rice, tomatoes, and potatoes. monsanto claims that gmo's are to better the world.
- Explains that gmo's have been part of our food supply for 20 years. they have taken traditional cross breeding and turned it into something far more complex.
1433 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 - The Pros And Cons Of GMO Food?opinion 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 - GMOexplanatory essayA genetically modified organism, or GMO for short is defined by dictionary.com as “an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has be altered by means of genetic engineering.” To fully understand the history of GMOs one first must know a short history of agriculture in our country. Humans transitioned to a subsistence type of farming lifestyle around 10,000 years ago. This lifestyle was consistent in the United States up until the late 1800’s or the industrial revolution. When the industrial revolution started 4 out of every 5 people of lived on farms or in the country. That is a large amount considering that less than 1.5% of the population continue that lifestyle today (3).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that a genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering.
- Explains that the industrial revolution sparked change in america and developed technology that would change agriculture forever.
- Explains that greggory mendel was one of the first scientists to do research on genetics and dna, and francis crick and james watson helped make the discovery of dna.
- Explains that scientists began trying to genetically engineer different organisms in the 1970s. the first successful gmo was created in 1974 by stanley cohen, annie chang, and herbert boyer.
- Explains that although many of these genetically engineered plants worked properly, the fda had not yet approved any.
- Explains that calgene company's flavr savar tomato is ripe on the vine, longer shelf life, and a claim for better flavor.
- Describes a study done by the national institute of plant genome research to determine two enzymes involved in the ripening process leading to the breakdown of the cell wall.
- Analyzes the effects of genetically modified foods on insects. the first ge crop with the implanted bacterial gene was available in 1995.
- Explains that bt products can be very beneficial to farmers, reducing the amount of pesticides that farmers have to use, and increasing crop yield.
- Explains that plant diseases are another large concern for the agriculture industry today. the most common way to develop a disease resistance was to breed plants which were not affected together to pass along the resistant gene.
- Describes a research study on gala apples and the fire blight disease, which has cost orchards millions of dollars.
- Explains that the gala apple plants with the transplanted crab apple gene resisted fire blight more strongly than the control group which did not have the gene.
- Analyzes how genetically modified foods can carry medicines or vaccines. the benefit of this practice would mostly be seen in developing countries.
- Explains that one of the most common traits genetically engineered into crops today is the ability to withstand herbicides.
- Explains monsanto's drought resistant corn, which has been approved by the usda, is a concern for the agriculture industry.
- Explains the benefits of genetically modified foods, such as their ability to survive in colder temperatures.
- Opines that genetically modified foods can be used efficiently and effectively to feed the population.
1695 wordsRead More - Genetically Modified Organismsexplanatory essayIn the United States we have many rights and freedoms that other people are not so fortunate to have. We the people have the right to bear arms, vote in elections, express ourselves, and many more, but arguably the most important one is the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The citizens elect government officials in hopes that they have our best interests in mind and will keep us safe. If they are doing their jobs, then why are we still unsure of what genetically modified organisms we are consuming from processed foods? Genetically modified organisms, or “GMOs” are an organism who has had its genetic material altered using DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other organisms. Genetically modified foods should be labeled in order to inform the customer what they are consuming because of possible health risks.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the united states has many rights and freedoms that other people are not fortunate to have, but the most important is the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Explains that gmos were created to withstand the application of herbicide and insecticide, but there is no product on the market that has shown tolerance to droughts, enhanced nutrition, or any other factor that the consumer benefits from.
- Explains that the fda's biotech policy is not as indepth as the rigorous clinical trials and other testing new drugs go through.
- States that the british medical association (bma) concluded that antibiotic resistance marker genes should be banned in gm food. the fda ignored the results of a 1992 study on the nutritional value of genetically engineered foods.
- Explains that the fda approved the use of genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbgh) in 1993.
- Opines that the american people have the right to know what kind of dangers the production of genetically engineered foods are doing to our environment.
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