GMO

Genetically Modified Organisms

What is GMO?
• A GMO (genetically modified organism)
is the result of a laboratory process
where genes from the DNA of one
species are extracted and artificially
forced into the genes of an unrelated
plant or animal.
• The foreign genes may come from
bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or
even humans.
• Using viruses or bacteria to “infect”
animal or plant cells with a new DNA
What is GMO?
• Injecting the new DNA into
fertilized eggs with a very
fine needle using electric
shocks to create holes in the
membrane covering the
sperm, and then forcing the
new DNA into the sperm
through these holes.
Pros and Cons
Pros
• GMO practices can be used to produce “designer”
crops, which have more nutrients, grow quicker and
produce more yield, are more resistant to pesticides and
use less fertilizer
• Artifically implanting DNA from one species to one
another can save many, many years of research .
Waiting for the unpredictable nature of traditional
breeding methods can take decades to achieve the
equilibrium; such a goal can be reached instantaneously
with GMO.
• GMO experimentation can be used to manipulate
animal (and theoretically, human) cells to be healthier or
desirable. For example, the article, Scientists One Step
Closer To Male Contraceptive Pill, talks about how
genetically-modified mice are helping to research
possible male contraception.
Pros
• GMO’s have been around for almost 20 years, so
health concerns related to them should have
become apparent by now.
• Change (and specifically, unnatural change) can
be good. For example, cleaning and cooking our
food may no be natural but it is beneficial.
• Crops are more resistant to diseases, droughts,
weeds and pesticides.
• Larger yields allow farmers to maximize land space
and use fewer herbicides Improved flavor, texture,
and nutritional value.
• Increased shelf life.
Pros

•Growth in infertile
soil, diminishing
starvation in
developing countries
Cons
• Studies have shown genetically modified corn and soy
fed to rats led to a higher risk of them developing liver
and kidney problems. These health risks may not be
transferable to humans, but they illustrate the
unpredictable nature of GMO’s on living things.
• GMO’s are not always tested thoroughly. The shortest
GMO testing times are a mere 90 days, which many
fear is simply not enough time to as certain all of the
risks.
• Transgenic modification produces organisms types
which would never occur naturally ,making them
highly unpredictable.
• GMO’s would affect those with allergies in
unpredictable ways.
Cons
• Though GMO’s were developed with a view to
reducing the amount of pesticides used, this is not
always the case. As weeds and bacteria become
resistant to the pesticides, farmers actually used more,
safe in knowledge the crop will not be affected.
• Often GMO products are not clearly labelled,
meaning people do not have the choice to decide
whether or not they wish to consume GMO products.
• GMO testing often involves performing experiments
upon animals, which some people feel is a breach of
animal rights.
• May have a trigger effect for food allergens
• Decreased nutrition
Examples of GMO
1. SOY
• Up to 90% of soybeans in the market have been
genetically modified to be naturally resistant to an
herbicide called, Round Up.This increased
resistance to the herbicide allows farmers to use
more Round Up to kill weeds. However, this results
not only in a genetically modified food product, but
also a food product loaded with more chemicals.
2. CORN
• Most of this corn is going to be used for human
consumption. Genetically modified corn has been
linked to health problems, including weight gain
and organ disruption.
3. CANOLA OIL
• Canola oil is derived from rapeseed oil. It is
considered one of the most chemically altered oils
sold in the US.
• Canola oil was one of the first crops to be approved
for genetic modification, back in 1995.
4. MILK
• One fifth of the dairy cows in the United States have
been given growth hormones to help them grow
faster and increase their yield. These hormones can
be found in some of the milk produced by these
cows. These growth hormones have been shown to
act inside the human body.
5. SUGAR
• Genetically modified sugar beets were introduced
to the US market in 2009. These sugar beets are
modified to resist Roundup, like corn.
6. ASPARTAME
• Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used instead of
sugar by many people. There is some question
concerning the the safety of aspartame in the
body, including its possible link to certain cancers.
Aspartame is manufactured from genetically
modified bacteria.
7. ZUCCHINI
• Genetically modified zucchini contains a toxic
protein that helps make it more resistant to insects.
This introduced insecticide, has recently been found
in human blood, including that of pregnant women
and fetuses. This indicates that some of the
insecticide is making its way into our bodies rather
than being broken down and excreted.
8. YELLOW SQUASH
• Yellow squash has also been modified with the toxic
proteins to make it insect resistant. This plant is very
similar to zucchini, and both have also been
modified to resist viruses.
9. PAPAYA
• Genetically modified papaya trees have been
grown in Hawaii since 1999. These Papayas are sold
in the United States and Canada for human
consumption. These papayas have been modified
to be naturally resistant to Papaya Ringspot virus,
and also to delay the maturity of the fruit. Delaying
maturity gives suppliers more time to ship the fruit to
supermarkets.
10. COTTON
• Even cotton has been genetically modified to
increase yield and resistance to disease. Most
concern relates to the cotton oil. Cotton originating
from India, and China, in particular, is considered
higher risk for personal health.
11. TOMATOES
• Made for a longer shelf life and to prevent a
substance that causes tomatoes to rot and
degrade.
12. POTATOES
• (Atlantic, Russett Burbank, Russet Norkatah, and
Shepody) - May include snack foods, processed
potato products and other processed foods
containing potatoes.
13. FLAX
• More and more food products contain flax oil and
seed because of their excellent nutritional
properties. No genetically modified flax is currently
grown. An herbicide-resistant GM flax was
introduced in 2001, but was soon taken off the
market because European importers refused to buy
it.
14. MEAT
• Meat and dairy products usually come from animals
that have eaten GM feed.
15. PEAS
• Genetically modified (GM) peas created immune
responses in mice, suggesting that they may also
create serious allergic reactions in people. The peas
had been inserted with a gene from kidney beans,
which creates a protein that acts as a pesticide.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
• Genetically modified foods have
been linked to toxic and allergic
reactions, sick, sterile, and dead
livestock, and damage to virtually
every organ studied in lab animals.
The effects on humans of
consuming these new
combinations of proteins produced
in GMOs are unknown and have
not been studied.
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