Genetically Modified Organisms ( Gmos )

GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their

Over the past few decades a new controversy has arisen in the scientific community: should Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) be used in modern society. There are generally two sides to this debate: one being in favor of GMO use and the other against it. Pro GMO activists believe that GMOs can help address hunger issues and help reduce use of pesticides/insecticides while Anti-GMO activists state that it is a threat to the agriculture industry, and should be banned. Both sides have several valid points, however GMO’s are even more complicated from initial glance, and may not be as dangerous as some believe.

“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that

“In a sweeping 400-page report, the country’s top scientific group found there was not evidence to support claims that genetically modified organisms are dangerous for either the environment or human health” (Heikkinen, 2016). Even Europe, a country that does not use this technology has proven that GMOs are a safe food source. “There is a scientific consensus, even in Europe, that the GMO foods and crops currently on the market have brought no documented new risks either to human health or to the environment” (Paarlberg, 2010). The biggest argument against GMOs would be that they are not safe to humans or the environment, but there has not yet been any documented evidence that approved GMOs have brought on new risks either to humans, animals or the environment (Paarlberg, 2010). Along with being scientifically proven numerous times to be a safe food source, there is also no confirmation that GMOs pose any risk to humans, animals, or the environment. “The central issue with GM crops is that because there are no concrete adverse effects for people to quantify, they can only focus on theoretical and largely unquantifiable ones” (Buiatti, Christou, & Pastore, 2013). Hundreds of experts have all concluded that GMOs have not presented any new risks to humans. “The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris organized a conference with 400 expert

This lab was performed to explore and discover GMOs in food that were given to test. Our group used oats, a GMO positive food, and a test food. Our goal was to find out whether the test food was GMO positive or negative and to record data accordingly. I hypothesized that the test food will be GMO positive. To see if my hypothesis had been correct we performed the process of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), to find the presence of GMO positive or negative DNA in the foods. We first extracted the DNA from the foods, and then added primers to the DNA as well. I then inserted the DNA onto a gel using a micropipette. Using gel electrophoresis and a UV transilluminator we were able to view the staggering results.

When it comes to the topic of whether Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) are hazardous products for human consumption, some of us will readily agree that GMOs have become an issue since people believe they are a risk to their health. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of are GMOs a risk to our health and if so why are they still out in the market. Whereas some are convinced that GMOs are not a potential risk to our health and they are an improvement to the production of crops, others maintain that GMOs are unsafe and are the cause for several diseases. I agree that GMOs are safe for human consumption because we have been using GMOs for the last twenty years and there is no proof of them being a hazard to humans. Since the day we started using GMOs there has been an improvement on the production of crops and

Some consumers do not agree with GMOs. In fact, about seven out of ten people say they do not want consume GMOs. But there are others that just do not care. GMOs make up 80% of all packaged foods. (Doering, 2014). Tests have been done to mice to see the effects of genetically modified corn. The results were that the mice grew tumors. (Adams, 2012). Imagine what they could be doing in human bodies. Why do we use GMOs when tests have been done that show they are harmful? “Safety assessments are mandatory for GMOs in other major developing countries including China, Japan, and the countries of the European Union.” (Rock 2014). The bad things are GM products are creating problems every day. Scientists have proven they cause harmful effects. And people are trying to outlaw GM products. Hundreds of millions of people consume GMOs. (Adams 2012). Many products labeled “natural” still may contain them. (Rock 2014). What is good is that “more farmers are rejecting GMOs, and more consumers are demanding non-GMO foods.” (Cummins 2014). And money has been spent on ballot initiatives to force companies to have to put labels on products to inform the people what they are eating. (Doering

We all as Americans eat food every day to maintain our homeostasis balance of nutrition. We eat our veggies, meats, dairy, and so forth. We buy our produces from local markets and grocery stores all around the country, but do we really know what kind of products we are purchasing? Where our foods come from and how they are grown? There are many products around us and amongst these foods are some that have been genetically modified. Genetically modified foods (GMOS) are also known as bio-engineered. They are usually available to the public for consumption. Whether that organism is an animal, a plant, or a microorganism. Most of the time, GMOs are recognizable as being plants, which is the one of the biggest concern,

Genetically modified organism, to some people this can be a scary word and other people it doesn’t bother at all. When some think of genetically modified organisms, these crazy images of cross bred plants and animals with extra limbs or odd features come to mind when in reality, genetically modified organisms or GMOs are very normal organisms that are important to society. More recently there has been heated debates over GMOs and how they should be labeled for the public, but that is not the only controversy surrounding them. Genetically modified organisms help increase the economy, are safe products to consume, are able to help struggling nations stay healthy in the future, and do not necessarily need to be labeled.

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, is a controversial topic that has come up in conversation and debate since it first appeared in grocery shelves as new tomatoes back in 1994 (Woolsey). GMOs have had an infamous reputation among the public since they first started being offered in the markets and continues with much controversy to this day. Up to 80% of processed foods in the U.S. are genetically modified (Paturel). Most people which one might come across will often debate against GMOs and why the practice should be ignored and instead how one should focus on organic foods as an alternative due to it being healthier and safer on the body. Are GMOs dangerous to the body? Do they pose a general risk to our health? Are the rumors about GMOs as true as people claim they are? Or is the fear behind GMOs overly exaggerated? On the other hand, there are arguments and debates on why the research of GMOs are important for the future as well as being quite safe. There are, of course, disadvantages to using GMO which up to now has only been proven to be quite minor in nature, but at the same time there are many benefits that comes with it as well. Most people will tell you how GMOs are bad and is not needed. But instead of taking that path, I will instead focus on why genetically modified organisms, although controversial, is needed in the world and why it is

In the mid- 1990s, a new large economic market became a presence around the world. This new market, known as GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, was the product of a technique used by scientists in which they could modify organisms in order to gain desirable traits. Many people saw these as the best thing since sliced bread. Others, however, immediately saw them as a concern to the general public, just as anything new in the food supply would be. Since then, GMOs and GE (Genetic Engineering) have become more advanced and existent in the world, and the controversy over them has grown with it. Now GMOs have become existent not only in

Dr. David Suzuki, a well-known Canadian geneticist, had a powerful message when it came to genetically modified organisms: “Anyone that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying” (Smith). Agricultural companies have spent several years and millions of dollars displaying GMOs on a pedestal made of deceitful promises. Because of this, the general public has adopted several misconceptions as facts, believing that these altered organisms will increase crop yields and reduce the use of pesticides. World citizens must open their eyes to see past the positive claims of large corporations because genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have an undeniable dark side.

Genetically Modified Organisms are living organisms whose genetic material has been manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. Tomatoes for example, would normally go bad after a few days, however after being manipulated the tomatoes now have a longer shelf life. Common sense seems to dictate that as humans, we shouldn’t be eating harmful chemicals. We must help educate humans about what GMOs are so that we will have a choice as to whether we want to consume them or not. At the same time that I believe we should have a choice in consuming GMOs, I also believe GMOs could help with world hunger. While they rarely admit as much, Monsanto, the inventor of GMOs often take for granted that people would like to understand more about GMOs. Nevertheless, both followers and critics of GMOs will probably argue that GMO foods are safe. Some argue that GMO foods shouldn’t be labeled. I disagree with Monsanto’s views that GMO products are safe to consume because recent research has shown numerous health problems have increased after GMOs were

Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are one the most hotly contested topics in the food industry due to the potential affects that they could have on the environment. Most of what the world eats today are GMO’s yet the majority of the population has no idea how GMO’s affect the world around them or the benefits and consequences of GMO’s. For example, sweet potatoes are natural GMO’s that were created around 8,000 years ago. GMO’s could have the potential to solve the upcoming Malthusian catastrophe or be extremely detrimental to the environment. In order to fully understand and utilize GMO’s in the future, people must be informed of the pros and cons that GMO’s could have on the environment and the world.

As a direct result, the fear of having insufficient food resources to accommodate world’s populations raised a global concern and therefore; science and technology have been employed in the attempts to prevent the possibility of global food shortages. This ultimately led to the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In a nutshell, GMOs crops have been developed with the promise of higher yields for farmers, longer storage life and in some cases, more nutritional values for consumers. In spite of the promising benefits that GMOs have to offer, the practice and application of GMOs continues to be one of the most controversial subjects due to its potential risks on health and the environment. Despites all these challenges, GMOs continue to be developed and supported by many including our government. The