Gm Foods Essays

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GM FOOD INVESTIGATION
Genetically modified foods are foods produced from genetically modified organisms or specifically genetically modified crops. The GMO’S have specific changes in their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. Many genetic modified foods are transgenic plant products such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. The first genetically modified plant was produced in 1983, using an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant.
One method or process is Selection of the modified plant cells. In this process after the transformation, various methods are used to differentiate between the modified plant cells and the great majority of cells that have not incorporated the desired genes. Most often, selectable marker genes that confer antibiotic or herbicide resistance are used to favor growth of the transformed cells relative to the non-transformed cells. For this method genes responsible for resistance are inserted into the vector and transferred along with the gene(s) conferring desired traits to the plant cells. When the cells are exposed to the antibiotic or herbicide, only the transformed cells (containing and expressing the selectable marker gene) will survive. The transformed cells are then regenerated to form whole plants using tissue culture methods.
4 Dangerous GM Food Facts
1. Unknown Toxins - Genetically altering seeds and foods can pose unknown risks of toxins and allergens that have never been present before. This supplement caused the death of thirty seven people and affected more than fifteen hundred more. The bacteria used was altered genetically, resulting in a new and toxic amino acid never found in this supplement before.
2. Genetically Modified Food Is Not Labeled One big danger with genetically modified foods is that it is not labeled. These foods make up one fourth of the food supply in the United States, and is in more foods than you may think. Without labeling it is impossible to know which foods have higher risks so that you can avoid them and protect the health of your family.
3. Unknown Genetic Effect on Humans-There is no way to tell if genetically modified foods can have an effect on the genetics of people. At first it was believed by scientists and researchers that the modified genes were destroyed during the digestion process, but recently modified food genes have been found in the brains of some infant mice. This can be very dangerous in infants and children.
4. Insect Resistance- Foods which are genetically altered to minimize the need for pesticides can actually cause an increase in chemical use over time and produce insects which become resistant to commonly used pesticides. This can create insect problems that can threaten the food supply and result in food shortages.
4 POSITVE GM FOOD FACTS
1. Pest resistance - Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, Growing GM foods such as BT corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market
2. Phytoremediation - Not all GM plants are grown as crops. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil.
3. Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance - As the world population grows and more land is used, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long
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