Genetically modified (GM) foods are made from plants and animals that have been given specific traits through genetic engineering. In this process a particular gene responsible for a specific trait is extracted from a plant or an animal and inserted into another plant or animal. This results in the latter plant or animal showing the traits of former plant/animal. In this process a gene can be extracted from a plant and inserted into an animal and vice-versa.If the genes are inserted into another species, the resulting organism is referred to as a transgenic organism. Genetic engineering can be used to produce human insulin in plant.
This is far different from selective breeding. In selective breeding only those plants or animals, from a whole group, are used which shows better results. For example, to produce a strain of wheat which is resistant towards a particular parasite a whole group of wheat strains will be exposed to the parasite and those strains will be selected which are least affected by the parasite in question. Then these selected strains will be used to produce more wheat strains which are resistant towards the parasite.
There are several techniques followed for genetic engineering. Some of them are :
- Recombinant DNA
- Microinjection
- Electro- and Chemical Poration
- Bioballistics
Soybeans, Corns, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Hawaiian Papaya, Sugar cane, Sugar beet, sweet corn etc.
A rather exhaustive list is available at Wikipedia
Good news:
The intentions of producing GM food are good. All the items mentioned above are superior in one or the other trait than the natural food items.For example the GM soybeans have a herbicide(Roundup) resistant gene which is taken from a bacteria. When this herbicide is sprayed over the field then it affects only weeds and not the crop. This in turn increase the yield and thus reduce the price of the crop in the market.GM food can be modified to sustain and flourish in extreme climates also. Proponents of GM foods say in case of global warming the average temperature of the globe will go up and this will drastically affect the crops. While the GM crops can be altered to sustain such high temperatures without affecting the yield.
GM tomatoes remain firm & fresh for long time. This causes farmers to let them ripe in sun and thus they tastes better.
Bad News:
Introduction of foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. For example consumption of GM tomatoes may make a human being Anti-biotic resistant. Which means no anti-biotic medicine will help in any kind of illness or disease.GM foods have allegedly increased food allergies by many folds in past three decades. Some thirty years back food allergies were rare but now more than 11 million Americans have allergies with some or the other food item.
They may increase the risk of allergenic reactions as reported by farmers in India in 2004 who were exposed to BT cotton.
GM food may have adverse impact of the ecosystem. Like the pollens of BT-corn kills the Monarch caterpillars. And these pollens can cross with the natural crop and can contaminate it without anybody even knowing it.
And there is huge risk of introduction of an entirely new disease (may be deadly too) in human beings. It could be like the situation shown in the movie "I am Legend".
Finally I would say GM food could be beneficial for humans as the intentions are good but they must be properly tested and verified, and then only they should be allowed to be used by humans.
Videos:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4147551008386395793
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5207412505897358694
Suggested links for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question148.htm
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Genetically_modified_foods_techniques?OpenDocument
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