Genetic Engineering Advantages And Disadvantages

 Genetic engineering is basically modifying and changing genes in people, animals, and fruits and vegetables it is something that is a good change for everyone.

Genetic Engineering is the direct modification of an organism's genes by using biotechnology. Scientists can genetically modify an organism’s chromosomal makeup by inserting proteins that will

Although many may disagree, there are many advantages to genetic modification in foods. Environmentally speaking, Crops that have inherited pest resistance through genetic alterations often reduce the need for the application of chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides can often have harmful effects on the environment. They can kill beneficial insect species in the field and get into other ecosystems when washed into waterways. In addition, genetic engineering can be used in many ways to improve the efficiency of crops. Resistance to herbicide and insect pests are two ways can help to improve productivity. With the improvement of productivity comes the reduction of cost. The use of GMOs can reduce the need for the application of chemicals. In some cases they may lead to traits which ease planting, harvesting, or processing in ways which reduce the cost of production.

Biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make production cheaper and more manageable. For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to tolerate specific herbicides, which make weed control simpler and more efficient. Other crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific plant diseases and insect pests, which can make pest control more reliable and effective, and/or can decrease the use of synthetic pesticides. These crop production options can help countries keep pace with demands for food while reducing production costs. The USDA also mentions the fact that they are still trying to discover new methods to help the U.S. Often people worry about the negative rumors of what happens to crops when Genetically engineered plants are being grown. Genetically engineered plants are also being developed for a purpose known as phytoremediation in which the plants detoxify pollutants in the soil or absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil so that the plants may be harvested and disposed of safely. In either case the result is improved soil quality at a polluted site. Biotechnology may also be used to conserve natural resources, enable animals to more effectively use nutrients present in feed, decrease nutrient runoff into rivers and bays, and help meet the increasing world food and land demands. Researchers are at work to produce hardier crops that will flourish in even the harshest environments and

Genetic engineering is the alteration of an organism’s genotype using recombinant DNA technology to modify an organism’s DNA to achieve desirable traits. (OpenStax 459). The main purpose however of genetic engineering is to deepen the understanding of how genetics works, as well as how it can be applied to the rest of the world. For example growing body parts on mice, or make crops resistant to pesticides, help them grow faster, make them produce faster and much more. The process of genetic engineering according to FAO Corporate Document Repository occurs in 9 steps:

Genetic engineering is the process of changing an organism's genetic material. Genetic engineering is also used in the processes of heredity reproduction (genetic engineering, 1). Genetic engineering alters the genes of an organism to give it desired characteristics, these techniques have been used in plants, animals, and even people. Researchers are working on curing genetic diseases by genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques include a wide range of procedures that alter the reproductive and hereditary processes of organisms. Depending on the problem, the procedures

Genetically Modified Crops are a damaging thing not only to the health of it’s consumers but to the environment as well. When genes are altered and changed it goes against everything their natural state has to offer. The possibilities of this new engineered plant are endless and can essentially in one aspect lower the nutrition levels. When plants are taken out of their natural state and placed into a lab for genetic modification the levels once found in the natural plant can become lost and or not as strong. The companies who produce these genetically modified seeds are altering creation; the genes. When food is consumed, portions of that food are taken into the cells to replenish, repair, and make new cells. If those cells are surrounded by toxic substances such as the chemicals in the food, it becomes easier for the cells to take in that material as well.

Not just plants but also animals also are in danger from genetic modification. Butterflies suffer from GMOS; they are doubly in danger from the terminator seed pollen and the herbicide laden plants. Bats also

GMOs help with environmental protection by using less time, tools, and reducing pollution. According to Livestrong.com, The increase of GMO crops and animals often requires less chemicals, time and tools, and may help to reduce environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion. Contrary to this idea, GMOs are made with chemicals which could hurt the environment, the organisms with the chemicals, and the consumer who is consuming the

The issue of producing and consuming genetically altered foods is controversial. Changing the natural content of plants and animals has negative impacts. For instance, genetically altering the DNA of plants or animals have a possibility to create allergens into a food, which results in allergic reactions. Environmentally, genetically modified crops have disadvantages. Plants can be modified to be pesticides and herbicide tolerant. Hence, when plants are sprayed with chemicals, those chemicals contaminate the surroundings. Besides, the chemicals are toxic to some pollinators, this results in the reduction of pollinators, which contributes to the decrease in genetic diversity in crops. The reduction in genetic diversity of plants disrupts the

in the atmosphere due to the carbon that gets leftover from the pesticides. If we were to totally

GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) have also been created to be resistant to insects allowing them to fend off insects and their harmful consumption of the crops. Other potential uses for GM is to eradicate and prevent birth defects, increase animal size for more meat, for consumption, anti-fungi fruits, altered colours for flowers and using GM for the use of providing organ transplants for humans.

People opposed to genetically engineered crops believe genetically engineering a crop to have a higher nutritional value will cause problems with a person’s diet. They believe people will then disregard other foods besides the new genetically engineered food, and this will cause other health issues. This does not seem likely because genetically engineered crops with enhanced nutritional value are aimed to help people reach a certain daily value of a vitamin or mineral, not to replace a person’s whole diet. A person will still have to eat other foods with the new genetically engineered food, however, he or she will not have to eat as much to obtain the correct daily values of their vitamins and minerals. Countries such as Africa, who have a problem with people dying of starvation each year, could really use these kinds of crops. Crops that are genetically engineered to withstand drastic weather conditions and are higher in nutritional value could help Africa have a higher yield of crops to feed the starving children with. The increased nutritional value in these crops would also help the starving children get more of the vitamins and minerals they need to survive.

When genetic engineering plants, all minds go on to think about the risks that come with the food. The idea of maintaining the plants, pesticides are used to control plant pathogens, weeds, the resisting to herbicides, has always been controversial. However, these thoughts have been counter-argued with more than 2,000 plants being genetically engineered. These plants then have been approved worldwide, showing the improvements in controlling pesticide, pathogens, and more. There has been a technique to replace the harmful pesticide used for breeding plants. A genetic engineered pesticide has been used to more than 50 plants crops; resulting to only pests to be harmed and not the plants, with the plants then expressing a new gene to control the chemicals given to it. The plants interaction with the environment lead to the results that there were more possible benefits than potential risks. (Yadav,

Genetic engineering in plants, most often to produce benefits in foods, have far more positives than negatives. One example of a positive of genetically modifying plants is that it can increase the consistency of crop yield