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Genetically Modified Organisms ( Gmos )

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Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are highly embedded into our food systems. The use of GMOs is a subject that is often highly debated. GMOs have been viewed as a way to produce food more efficiently, and to aid in the feeding of our ever growing population. However, there are numerous countries that have placed a ban on the use of these products. Comparing production increases in the U.S. to those countries that have banned the use of GMOs will help to give insight into why these products may be a good solution to feeding our ever growing population. At the same time seeing the negative side effects of the history of GMOs may cause you to change your mind on the use of GMOs. The history of GMOs goes back a lot further than most people may think. In 1935 Russian scientist Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky isolated pure DNA for the first time. However, it took until 1973 for a graduate student from Stanford University Medical School to come up with the idea for man-made DNA, or rDNA (recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid). Professor Herbert Boyer and a few of his biologist colleagues thought that there could be something to this idea and started their research. In 1975 the Asilomar Conference was held. At this conference a group of biologists, a few lawyers, and a few doctors got together to create guidelines for the safe use of genetically engineered DNA. Just five years later, in 1980, a court case between a genetics engineer at General Electric and the U.S. Patent Office was

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