golden rice
Thomas Huynh
Period 2
Golden Rice Vitamin A deficiency is one the most common nutritional deficiencies in developing regions. Deficiency in vitamin A can negatively affect growth, cause blindness, and suppress the immune system. To solve this problem green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits and certain animal produces B carotene are used to synthesize vitamin A. This can be done by direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology; first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods into the host organisms. Rice is one of the many common staple food of many developing countries around the world. However, since it does not have any B-carotene in its milled grain, it does not contain Vitamin A. Rice can be genetically engineered to boost its nutritional content by transferring the genes for B carotene from a plant that produces it into rice nutritional content. This results in the development of Golden Rice or GR because of its yellowish tinge. When Golden Rice was first developed, it was thought of as the solution to world malnutrition however it still is only promise. Golden rice should not be produced anymore. One reason would be that our gut does not absorb B carotene efficiently. This is evidenced through the fact that only one molecule of B carotene is absorbed for every 12 consumed. One would need to consume about 5.25 kg of uncooked GR everyday to meet the daily vitamin A requirement, thus at least 11 pounds. One would need to consume more of GR than just consuming a few servings of carrots or sweet potatoes. Another reason would be that since dietary fats and zinc are needed for the absorption of B carotene and synthesis of vitamin A, GR is less optimal in rice eating countries because these nutrients are limited in those regions. The goal of GR produced to serve as a solution to world malnutrition would be much harder now because not only GR would need to be produced, but foods that contain
Period 2
Golden Rice Vitamin A deficiency is one the most common nutritional deficiencies in developing regions. Deficiency in vitamin A can negatively affect growth, cause blindness, and suppress the immune system. To solve this problem green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits and certain animal produces B carotene are used to synthesize vitamin A. This can be done by direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology; first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods into the host organisms. Rice is one of the many common staple food of many developing countries around the world. However, since it does not have any B-carotene in its milled grain, it does not contain Vitamin A. Rice can be genetically engineered to boost its nutritional content by transferring the genes for B carotene from a plant that produces it into rice nutritional content. This results in the development of Golden Rice or GR because of its yellowish tinge. When Golden Rice was first developed, it was thought of as the solution to world malnutrition however it still is only promise. Golden rice should not be produced anymore. One reason would be that our gut does not absorb B carotene efficiently. This is evidenced through the fact that only one molecule of B carotene is absorbed for every 12 consumed. One would need to consume about 5.25 kg of uncooked GR everyday to meet the daily vitamin A requirement, thus at least 11 pounds. One would need to consume more of GR than just consuming a few servings of carrots or sweet potatoes. Another reason would be that since dietary fats and zinc are needed for the absorption of B carotene and synthesis of vitamin A, GR is less optimal in rice eating countries because these nutrients are limited in those regions. The goal of GR produced to serve as a solution to world malnutrition would be much harder now because not only GR would need to be produced, but foods that contain