Genetically Modified Food: Undertanding How Genes Affect an Organism

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, otherwise known as DNA. Since biochemists Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer pioneered genetic engineering in 1973, the process has grown to have numerous applications such as medicine production, for example insulin (Mckinley). However, a main topic of concern is the application of genetic engineering on foods that we eat everyday. By modifying the genetic "blueprint" of crops, it is possible to improve many aspects of agriculture. But with any sort of scientific discovery that allows humans to act as Mother Nature, genetically modifying organisms has been a very controversial topic. Yet our society continues to grow, and the need for the benefits of genetically modified foods continues to grow. Genetically modifying foods should be permitted in our society because it allows larger yields of crops to be produced, produces foods with higher nutritional values, and reduces our global ecological footprint.

Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing a seedless watermelon, but it is not the typical oval, it is square. Down the produce aisle, there are sweet, juicy strawberries; however, there is a warning label that says, “Do not consume if you have a nut allergy.” The world today is moving forward in the way that society produces our wholefoods. Genetic engineering, bioengineering, or biotechnology is the process of inserting the genetics of different plants and organisms into other plants or organisms to create new, more efficient DNA. However, is it truly beneficial to modify the world’s natural foods? The use of genetic engineering can disrupt the ecosystems that have taken billions of years to develop. Many years of research and work have gone into the subject of genetically modified foods; however, this new food trend could create or enhance food related illnesses and health problems, interfere with nature’s environs, and could even cause specific ethical problems for individuals that practice different faith. People should be aware of genetic engineering, how it works, and how it affects their lives.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of genetic modification in foods grown for human consumption. Many opponents suggest that genetically modified (GM) foods can affect human growth and development, increase allergic reactions in persons with allergy sensitivity or cause allergies to develop in healthy people. Proponents of using genetically modified organisms to alter and improve foods claim that there are no health risks to humans and that GM foods are subjected to stricter guidelines and testing than “naturally” grown food. They also claim that genetic modification of food is necessary to produce more drought tolerant, insect and disease resistant crops that can sustain the earth’s growing human population. A recent survey conducted suggests that public opinion is evenly divided on whether or not GMOs should be used in foods for human consumption. This paper looks to discuss the pros and cons of GMOs in food and the reported effects, if any, on human growth and development.

The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily

There is more than one side of the debate about whether the usage of genetically modified foods (GMO’s) is good or bad for you. One claim is that GMO’s are bad for you. To begin with, GMO’s are not safe for humans. According to nongmoproject.org, they state that “more than 60 countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, and all of the countries of the European Union, all have restrictions and bans on GMO’s being produced and sold” mainly because they are causing health problems in those countries. Another reason that GMO’s are not beneficial is because they are causing environmental damage to countries that rely on them. According to nongmoproject.org, they claim that, “Over 80% of all GMO’s

Contrary to popular belief, genetically modified foods are very safe. In the past seventeen years that GMOs have been marketed, there has not been a single health issue documented (Van Monatgu). This is because GMOs are subjected to extensive testing to ensure that they are safe to be consumed. The FDA, USDA, and other food companies know

Genetically modified food like many believe, is messing up the natural balance of things. But it’s given farmers markets a better chance at business. It helps the farmers grow bigger and healthier food that not only looks more appealing but it also has more nutritional value. Most people would consider this an improvement but some don’t see it that way, a lot of these so called “improvements” are very hazardous to the human body. Genes typically transfer from the GM foods to the cells in the body, or the bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract would be a great cause for concern if the

Since we have advanced our technology and research so much in the past few years, the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy said that because of GMO’s scientist are able to create foods with better taste, more nutritional value, and more resistance to disease and pest. Many people are concerned with the genetically modified organisms that are being put into their foods because of the risk factors that come along with them. Since genetically modified organisms are such a new way of growing food we are not fully aware of the health risks. Some of the health concerns have already come about are increased allergies, antibiotic resistance, other factors we aren’t aware of. When GMOs are put into our food their genetic makeup is altered. Scientists are taking genes from certain foods and adding them to other foods which has been known to cause people to have allergic reactions to foods that they once ate normally. This can be very dangerous to all people and not just people with typical food allergies. While scientists think they are helping human health by changing the food and making it more “nutritious”, they are actually harming more people than needed. Some GMO’s have also caused antibiotic resistance for people. This is a huge problem because viruses and infections are not going away anytime soon.

Another popular concern is that GMOs contain toxic substances which is true. Some GMOs that have been made pesticide resistance actually do contain toxins but the good news is the toxin is made to only work on certain insects and does not have any affect on other animals, including humans.(Misconceptions About GMOs) One more misconception is that many people believe the grocery store is full of GMOs but there are actually only nine genetically modified crops you may find in stores: corn, cotton, alfalfa, soybeans, potatoes, canola, papaya, sugar beets, and squash.(Get to Know GMOs)

    Humans have been intentionally changing the genetic properties of animals and plants for centuries, through all the standard breeding techniques of the use of radiation and chemicals to create random mutations, some of them turn out to be useful, for example Genetic Modified (GM) Foods. What is Genetically Modified (GM) Foods? GM foods are foods that are derived from organisms that have been genetically engineered. Also they are called genetically engineered (GE) or transgenic crop that are generally made of a genetic marker. GMO have a very long history. In fact, they have been around for thousands of years. So perhaps the conflict over their safety shouldn't be about whether they are safe for humans to consume, but rather how they will impact long term.Even though Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) would increase food costs, these can improve yields for farmers, provide nutritional benefits,and help to alleviate the increasing global population of third world countries.

“70 percent of our corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland are planted with crops genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides and increase crop yields. 60% of all the processed foods in the United States are genetically modified; a shocking statistic has the concern of many Americans. However, most people are uninformed about the beneficial impact that genetically modified food has on their diet. GM is the use of molecular biology technology to modify the inherited structure of organisms. Genetically engineered crops increase nutrients, drought tolerance, provide more food for growing populations, and resists diseases and pesticides. Genetically engineered foods are crucial to the improvement of economy, agriculture, society, and health choices. The creation of GM foods was one of the most significant breakthroughs in food industry. Genetically modifying foods is a key component that is harmless for the enrichment of our foods.

GMFs, short for genetically modified foods, are a product of genetic engineering that makes a DNA sequence in an organism favorable and improved. GMFs impact the world in a plethora of ways including socioeconomic and cultural ways in our local community and the individual opinions of many people. These mutated foods have not only caused numerous advantages, but additionally have caused many disadvantages that can hurt not only the local community but the global community as a whole. While dealing with genetically engineering, scientists must be tentative by its utilization since many individuals have different opinions on it. Genetically modified foods have an important significance to this world altogether.

Genetically modified organism has not been proved it is safe for human. Many scientists did relative experiments about bioengineered crops and animals and they finally got devastating results. For example, the white rats got enormous tumor after lab staff fed them with genetically modified foods. These outcomes lead people to get into a panic to genetically modified foods. However, some other scientists said genetically modified foods is good for crop production and it would not harm the health of people because they

Genetically Modified Foods are a large part of today 's market place: corn,soybean,cotton, etc.. And plenty more crops are genetically modified. These genetic modifications change from inserting genes that allows the use of certain herbicides to inserting animals genes to impart desirable traits. Many large companies and farmers believe that genetically modified foods result in the use of fewer chemicals and cheaper foods, and more stability for the farmers. Some people may not like genetically modified foods and treat it like it 's a bad thing, but really don 't know anything about it or how it works. In my opinion I am not against it. I actually learned a lot by doing this research paper, like that it is healthy for us and it doesn 't harm us in any way.

Food is a quintessential part of life, as we eat food every day, from breakfast to dinner. Food provides our basic needs to support our body. Over the years, erratic climate changes have posed a significant threat to our supply of food. However, engineering science had allowed us to used Gene guns and Vat to grow food artificially, illuminating the threat to an unstable food supply, without nature affecting it. Scientists have discovered that by modifying its DNA, it could be stronger, more resilient, grow faster. It is named as genetically modified, also named as GM. However, there are concerns that GM food isn't safe. In this essay, I will discuss the pros and cons of GM food and how it will affect us in terms of our health, society, environment.