Vertical Gene Transfer Essay

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) proposes that a myriad of health problems including infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal problems, and organ damage are all associated with the ingestion of genetically modified

One reason why genetically engineered crops are safe to eat are because they have no harm to the human body. A source that strongly supports my theme is by sciencemag.org they state “There is no report found with the effect on biodiversity or danger from interbreeding wild relatives and genetic engineered crops” (Haspel). If there was a danger in genetic engineered crops then they would not have been world widely used as a source of protection. This is a true statement because

When cooking genetically modified foods, the food has to be fully cooked in order to get the chemicals out of the food. If left in the food, the chemical can enter our bloodstream and cause us to be deathly ill and may even cause death. Genetically modified foods may be good for the economy but they are not good for humans if not cooked properly.In a review of nineteen studies it shows that there has been significant organ disruption

Reason to Listen: Genetically modified food can cause serious health issues such as allergies, diseases, and liver problems (Health Risks, 2016). Each of you has most likely eaten food that has been genetically modified, meaning that you have the potential to be exposed to these health problems. Your health is at risk here along with the health of your friends and family.

Humans have been manipulating genetic transfer for over 10,000 years since our hunter- gatherer ancestors began to settle in one place and started farming and planting crops. Those humans observed and chose organisms from natural selection to select and breed organisms that showed characteristics desired by them and this began the process of selective breeding. Selective breeding favours recessive alleles that do not persist in wild populations. Selective breeding is a process of increasing the frequency of rare and recessive alleles so that they appear in homozygous form. This has the effect of eliminating the alleles for wild type from the population and the process of domestication has become irreversible. The domestic species has become dependent on humans for their survival. It is from these domestic species that humans have selected and breed favourable genetic traits for their benefit, be it higher yield in plant crops, sweeter tasting fruit, and more milk from dairy cows or ease of handling stock, selective breeding continues to be used today.

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.

Discussions concerning safety issues and the potential harmful effects on humans have been largely theoretical. The key concerns have been allergic reactions, gene transfer to non-GMO crops, and outcrossing with domestic species (WHO, 2009). To address the issue of allergic reactions, the World Health Organization and other governing bodies discourage the use of the most common allergenic foods. Gene transfer occurs when the genes from the spliced material enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract and splice themselves into the human body. The possibility of this occurring is believed to be so low that it is not a realistic concern (WHO, 2009).

This implies that the intake of genetically modified food leaves the body in an unnatural state and impedes the body’s natural mechanisms, which therefore endangers the body’s health. Dangerous side effects of excessive consumption of GMO in a diet disrupts the natural state of the body which can range from body toxicity, food allergies, negative reproductive effects, and sometimes even death (6 Negative Side Affects To Eating Genetically Modified Foods, 2010).

The way that genes are transferred could leave the organism dead or alive. Vertical engineering is natural while horizontal engineering is artificial. Genetic engineering is artificial at its core. There is no way to change that fact. Because of its “fake” nature, it could cause much harm to the environment and the health of the people.Genes work together to help the organism survive. Vertical gene transfer is natural because the genes are placed where they are supposed to be. Unlike vertical gene transfer, horizontal gene transfer can lead to harmful effects because of its unpredictability. “Whole sets of genes are turned on and off in order to arrive at a particular organism, and the entire orchestration is an activated genome. It's a dangerous mistake to assume a gene's traits are expressed properly, regardless of where they're inserted.”(Marcelo) The gene placed into an organism may kill the host rather than help it survive. There may also be a chance that the transferred gene could harm the people eating the modified crop or

Theresa Phillips said “potential health risks to humans include the possibility of exposure to new allergens in genetically modified food, as well as

We have been participating in a mass scale biotech agricultural experiment for over twenty years. Since the mid-1990s the U.S population has been consuming Genetically Engineered (GE) foods or foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) without having done enough research to assess its long time effects on humans. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agency responsible for protecting the public’s health and safety, “genetic engineering is the name given to certain methods that scientists use to introduce new traits or characteristics to organisms.” In other words, scientists modify the structure of plants or animals by removing some of their DNA material; or by inserting that

Like any technology, genetic engineering offers benefits as well as potential risks. Genetic engineering can negatively affect human health as well as environmental impacts. For example, genetic engineering can cause allergic reactions or even create new ones. According to the article, Genetically Engineered foods, “Modified organisms may interbreed with natural organisms and out-compete them, leading to extinction of the original organism or to other unpredictable environmental effects,” ("Genetically engineered foods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"). Genetically engineering can cause this environmental problem directly because an engineered

Another crucial way in which humans are harmed from genetically modified foods is obesity. Obesity stems from an abnormal diet with high calorie-dense foods which results in above average body fat. It is associated with increased risk of disease such as cardiovascular failure and liver cancer, disability and incapacitation from excess weight on the joints and bones, and even death from complications arising from the obesity – not the obesity itself. People are consciously ignorant about the foods they eat. “Obesity is the sixth most common disease worldwide. Approximately 1.1 billion adults and 10% of children are considered obese” (Haslam). Obesity is a chronic

A Genetically Modified Organism or GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the process of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found within. These genetically modified organisms are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, introduced in 1994. However, beginning in 2014 these chemicals could be found in 90% of corn, cotton, and soybeans produced in the United States. The looks and taste of genetically modified organisms may seem inviting but are the health risks really worth it? In my opinion, I believe that while genetically modified organisms do have positive feel and comfort they pose a large health risk to all who choose to consume them.

With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated.