Year 10 Science Genetically Modified Food Essay
Genetic Modification (GM) or Genetic Engineering (GE) is the process of manipulating genomes from an organism, such as plants and animals, to another using the techniques of biotechnology. Genetic modified foods are created from the procedures of genetic engineering and play an important role in the society’s lifestyle. GM foods can be both beneficial and disadvantageous to the society and environment. It can be advantageous as it can improve agricultural production, help improve nutrition in the body and also contribute to medical research. However it can also be disadvantageous as it may harm organisms in the environment, be a factor of human illnesses and its cost inefficiency.
Genetic modified foods can be very beneficial to farmers who have loss crops from pests and insects that eat them. Originally farmers used chemical pesticide annually to kill pests however; they found that consumers would not eat the food as it was a health hazard. Also it had harmed the environment as the pesticide would poison the water supply. By having genetically modifying crops food can be protected from insects and pests. Bacillus thuringiensis(BT) Corn is an example of a genetically modified crop, which contains delta endotoxins and when insects are exposed to this the toxins will paralyse the insect’s digestive system and kill it. Hence GM foods can be very beneficial as the production of agriculture will be less damaged.
Nutrition is an essential factor in a healthy lifestyle, in developing countries people suffer from malnutrition. Genetically modified food has the ability to contain many vitamins and minerals that can be essential to the human body. If individuals from third world countries eat the GM foods they are also consuming vitamins and minerals. Rice is one of the main foods that these people have in their diets, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute of Plant Sciences have genetically modified rice into “golden” rice which contains vitamin A. This is an
Genetic modified foods can be very beneficial to farmers who have loss crops from pests and insects that eat them. Originally farmers used chemical pesticide annually to kill pests however; they found that consumers would not eat the food as it was a health hazard. Also it had harmed the environment as the pesticide would poison the water supply. By having genetically modifying crops food can be protected from insects and pests. Bacillus thuringiensis(BT) Corn is an example of a genetically modified crop, which contains delta endotoxins and when insects are exposed to this the toxins will paralyse the insect’s digestive system and kill it. Hence GM foods can be very beneficial as the production of agriculture will be less damaged.
Nutrition is an essential factor in a healthy lifestyle, in developing countries people suffer from malnutrition. Genetically modified food has the ability to contain many vitamins and minerals that can be essential to the human body. If individuals from third world countries eat the GM foods they are also consuming vitamins and minerals. Rice is one of the main foods that these people have in their diets, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute of Plant Sciences have genetically modified rice into “golden” rice which contains vitamin A. This is an