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gm food advantages and disadvantages
controversial about genetically modified food
the gm food essay
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Genetically modified otherwise known as GM food are organisms which DNA which is genetic material has been altered in a way that is unnatural. The technology that is used for this process has many names such as gene technology, modern biotechnology or generic engineering. Scientists choose selected genes to be taken from one entity and placed into another they may or may not be related. Genetically modified food was first established with the hopes of conquering world hunger by altering various types of crops. The crops and livestock were birthed through genetic modification to have beneficial features that it may not naturally have such as an enlarged size. These crops and livestock are grown and raised virtually everywhere except the North and Southern Poles of the world. Crops are grown from France, Chile, Canada, China, South Africa and even Romania in addition to a bundle of other countries including the United States.
The Science Behind The GM Engineering
Each organism that is dissected for genetic modification is treated like any other organism that would be dissected for a cure or answers about a psychopathy. The nucleus which is the center of every single cell has chromosomes which store the genetic information also known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). A gene which is the carrier of a trait such as color or size is taken out of a certain chromosome after researchers find the chromosome with the desired gene. Therefore when a scientist changes the gene, the trait then is ultimately going to be different. This type of genetic modification has been used in a variety of animals including cows, pigs, chickens, and fish. The crops on the other hand are immense in variety ranging from starches such as rice, soybeans, p...
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...be continued to be researched and developed so that the world can benefit from the crops and worldwide security and nutrition can increase.
Works Cited
Evenston, R., & Santaniello, V. (2004). Consumer acceptance of genetically modified foods. Cambridge, MA: Cabi
Freedman, J. (2009). Genetically modified food: How biotechnology is changing what we eat. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Inc.
Green, J. (2006). Genetically modified food. Mankato, MN: Aladdin Books Ltd.
Henningfeld, D. (2008). Genetically modified food . Greenhaven Press.
Levine, M. (2007). Pesticides: A toxic time bomb in our midst. Westport, CT: Pragear Publishing.
Nottingham, S. (2003). Eat your genes: how genetically modified food is entering our diet. New York, NY: Palgrave.
Weasel, L. (2009). Food fray: Inside the controversy over genetically modified food. New York, NY: AMACOM.
David H. Freedman uses statistics and emotion to help the readers connect more with what he is saying in his article. In the Article, he talks about the pros and cons of Genetically modified foods, how they are tested and if they can cause any real risks to the people. “Are Engineered Foods Evil?” appeared on September 2013 in the issue of Scientific American entitled “The Food Issue: The Science of Feast, Fuel, and Farm.” He also has written in Inc. Magazine, the Harvard Business Review, Wired and even in the New York Times. Freedman utilities a solid base of benefits and worries, a clean record and a way forward to educate the common people or other researchers on the effects of Genetically Modified Foods.
Maghari, Behrokh Mohajer, and Ali M. Ardekani. "Genetically Modified Foods And Social Concerns." Avicenna Journal Of Medical Biotechnology 3.3 (2011): 109-117. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
If you read the paper or watch the news, you’re undoubtedly aware of the debate raging over genetically modified food. Is it bad or is it good? Between the feuding sides, you might find yourself a little lost and wondering which side is right. Answers to seemingly simple questions have been blurred or exaggerated by both sides. On one side genetically modified food is more sustainable, safe, cheaper, easier to grow and has the potential of creating disease-fighting foods. Although this is positive and good intentioned, there may be unintended consequences that we have been quick to overlook. Those opposing genetically modified food clam that it is dangerous, harms the environment, increases health risks, and causes infertility and weight gain. Even things like the declining bee population may have closer ties to modified food than previously thought. We must look to science for answers. By studying genetically modified organisms (GMOs) we can guide our decision about whether we want to be consuming them.
Whitman, Deborah. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?". Cambridge Scientific Abstracts. Available online at http://www.csa.com/hottopics/gmfood/overview.html. Accessed November 9, 2003.
Genetic modification is a process of altering the genetic material of an organism by the use of a method that does not occur in nature. Genetic modification involves isolating, removing and manipulating DNA, and then reinserting the DNA into the same organism or into the genetic material of another organism. Which then leads to the creation of a genetically modified organism (GMO). GMOs can be plants, animals or (most commonly) micro-organisms. The use of GMOs in agriculture is rapidly increasing, since it produces a greater yield in crops than the traditional way of farming. Even though the production of GMOs are increasing, that does not necessarily mean it is completely safe for us to consume, companies that produces genetically modified
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.
Anderson, Jon C., Cheryl J. Wachenheim, and William C. Lesch. "AgBioForum 9(3): Perceptions of Genetically Modified AndOrganic Foods and Processes." AgBioForum. 2006. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. http://www.agbioforum.org/v9n3/v9n3a05-wachenheim.htm
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.
We see the fruits of years of genetic research all around us. Genetically modified foods are everywhere. Biotech seeds yield a hefty portion of the corn, tomatoes, soybeans and other agricultural products and derivatives consumed by the American population on an annual basis (2000, Sunstein). Over 70% of the items Americans find on their supermarket shelves contain genetically modified content (1999, Wastell). We did not get to this point without endless hours of research and testing by dedicated scientists and researchers. This technology however is not without its opposition, in Europe genetically modified food products are aggressively regulated and labeled (2000, Sunstein). Papers have been written that allegedly show these crops not only damage the ecosystem as in the case of the Monarch butterfly but also are a danger to the animal or human who would ingest them as cited by Dr. Arpad Puzstai (1999, Lean).
LILLISTON, BEN and CUMMINS, RONNIE. Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers. Marlowe & Company, 2000.
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
How many of you hear the words “genetically modified food” and immediately think “BAD”? How many of you scorn the idea that genetically modified foods are useful? How many of you have been manipulated by the media to think that all biotechnology is evil? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been genetically spliced to achieve a certain trait. As the demand for a larger food supply is increasing due to population growth, the benefits that GMO foods provide are being hailed as the only solution to the food crisis. However, many people are making inadequately informed decisions, and are pushing them to the back shelf. I will inform you on why genetically modified organisms may be the only way to a stable, safe future for the less fortunate.
What we eat today seems like what our ancestors ate. At least that is what we believe. However, something profoundly different has happened without our knowledge or consent. Based on what renowned doctors have said, what we did not notice before can be already hurting the humanity tremendously. Genetically modified foods are those plants or animals that have been modified from an organism by genetic engineering to produce the desired characteristics. Today, there is still no concise answer to this catastrophic issue of genetically modified foods. The first genetically modified food was commercialized in the 94s in the United States of America, the famous Flavr Savr tomato, produced by the Californian company Calgene. In this case, the inserted
“Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.” ERS/USDA Data. Web. 12 May 2012. .