June 16, 2010
UNIT 7: PlantsGenetically Modified Foods — Do Potential Problems Outweigh Benefits?
Although these tomatoes are labeled, genetically modified foods are not required to be labeled in the United States. However, they must meet the same standards of safety as traditionally grown foods.
There is a food fight going on, and you may need to choose a side. Genetically modified (GM) foods have been on the market since the early 1990s, and today most foods in U.S. grocery stores have GM ingredients. But the wide availability of GM food also raises concerns on topics ranging from health to the environment. Should you be worried about eating GM foods?
New Technology, Old Idea
GM plants have genes that have been genetically engineered, or artificially introduced into the plant’s genome. This technology gives plants a new characteristic. For instance, many crop plants are commonly engineered for disease resistance. Some examples of crops that have GM varieties on the market are apples, carrots, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Genetic engineering is a fairly new process, but plants have been modified through careful breeding for thousands of years. Many people knowledgeable about genetics argue that genetic engineering of crops is just a faster and more precise method of selective breeding.
The Green Revolution
In the 1960s, scientist Norman Borlaug and a team of researchers used cross-breeding techniques to develop a new strain of wheat. The new strain produced two to three times as much wheat as traditional varieties, and resisted many types of insects and diseases. Widely planted, these new varieties changed Mexico from an importer of wheat to an exporter within 20 years. Borlaug and his team began shipping the new strain of wheat to India and Pakistan, and both countries quickly doubled their wheat production. Known as the Green Revolution, this scientific advance improved crop yields drastically worldwide. For his work, Borlaug received the Nobel Prize in 1970. Today, Borlaug and many others view genetic engineering of crops as the next wave of the Green Revolution.
Benefits of GM Crops
Plants can be genetically modified to produce larger fruits.
One benefit of GM crops is the potential of improved nutrition. For example, half of the world’s population relies on rice as the main part of their diet. Rice lacks vitamin A, however, and vitamin A deficiency can cause blindness and sometimes death. Researchers developed a new strain of rice, called “golden rice.” Unlike regular rice, golden rice is high in vitamin A. Golden rice could prevent millions of deaths of young children in developing countries every year.
Other promising uses of genetic engineering include growing fruits and vegetables that produce vaccines in their tissues. This would make shipment, storage, and administration of medicine easier worldwide.
Some benefits of GM crops are well established. They include benefits to farmers, such as crops that take less time, water, and land to grow, and plants that can withstand drought or cold temperature or that grow in poor soils.
There are also benefits to the environment, such as crops that lessen the need for pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer applications. Even the consumer benefits with GM produce that stays fresh longer.
Potential Hidden Costs of GM Crops
Not everyone is enthusiastic about genetically modified foods. Opponents argue that it is impossible to predict exactly how the new crops—sometimes called “Frankenfoods”—will affect ecosystems. For example, the bacterial gene Bt is commonly inserted into GM plants. It produces an insecticidal toxin that is harmless to people. But will insects become resistant to Bt? Insect-repelling GM plants may speed the evolution of pesticide-resistant pests.
Another concern is that weeds can become stronger by cross-breeding with GM crops. When herbicideresistant genes are inserted into crop plants, the weeds are easily killed by herbicides while the crops remain unaffected. But pollen from plants can be carried by the wind for long distances, and seeds from GM crops could be accidentally dispersed outside their intended locations, causing the rise of "superweeds."
Unanswered Questions
Genetically modified crops are no longer considered new, but some questions about them remain. Many of the most important research questions concern the long-term effects of GM crops on human health and the environment. Specific questions include:
- Can people absorb the vitamins in genetically modified crops as easily as they absorb the vitamins in other foods?
- Could GM crops, such as those engineered to produce medicines, have adverse effects on wildlife?
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Technology
Gene Gun
Genetic engineers use various ways to insert new genes into host cells. For plant cells, which have thick cell walls, one of the best ways to put foreign DNA into the cell is to actually shoot it through the plant tissue using a gene gun.
- A researcher coats gold or tungsten particles with DNA and places them on the end of a microscopic plastic bullet.
- The plastic bullet is placed in the gene gun and directed toward the target plant tissue.
- A burst of helium propels the bullet to the end of the gun. The gold particles containing the DNA are released while the bullet remains in the gun.
- Particles enter the cytoplasm of some of the cells in the target tissue. DNA is released from the gold particles and moves into the plant cell’s nucleus, where it ultimately combines with the cell’s DNA.
Careers
Research Engineer in Action
Dr. Tong-Jen Fu
Title: Research Engineer, Food and Drug Administration
Education: Ph. D., Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Tong-Jen Fu is a research engineer with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she evaluates the allergy tests used for GM foods. She and other researchers are trying to understand exactly what makes substances in food cause allergic reactions.
One of the concerns of GM food is its potential to increase allergies in humans. Many proteins can potentially be an allergen—that is, cause an allergic reaction in some people. Since genetic engineering introduces new proteins into crops, concerns have been raised that unexpected allergies may arise. GM foods could trigger allergies by including proteins already known to cause a reaction, or by introducing completely new allergy-causing proteins—such as those from bacteria—into the food supply.
Researchers use extensive safety tests to determine whether a genetically modified food is likely to cause an allergic reaction. If any of these tests has a positive reaction, the GM food is not likely to be produced. These tests include checking the DNA against the DNA of known allergens and testing how digestion affects potential allergens.
What Do You Think?
Comments
Comment from: carson
September 9, 2009 08:12 PM [#]
i think that even though there is a possibility that we could end up with "super weeds" or tough insects, our technology and gene modifications will also progress as well so i don't think we have too much to worry about. our technology and abilities are going to increase faster than the bugs or weeds will change anyway.
Comment from: Bryan
December 21, 2009 05:05 PM [#]
I think this is very interesting. It could make a big improvement on world hunger. Also how scientists could put vaccines in fruits and veggies, COOL I HATE SHOTS!!!!
Comment from: Mr. Snuffles
January 4, 2010 07:46 PM [#]
The ecosystem will get so messed up with GM foods. "Superbugs" and "Superweeds" will damage native plants and harm humans. Down with GM food! And Bryan vaccinations are not that bad. This is an issue about the ecosystem not the feeling in your arm.
Comment from: Mr. M
January 26, 2010 06:40 AM [#]
What would be the advantages of labeling GM food? How about the disadvantages? Think...large companies, environment, consumers. Im alll over the place! Watch out...you might open a can of tomatoes and I might pop right out of it! Dont forget your RUBRIC..
Comment from: Jon W
January 26, 2010 06:49 AM [#]
Genetically alterred food is so good
Comment from: Farah
March 15, 2010 10:26 PM [#]
Genetically modified food does not taste as good as an original, sometimes is quality not quantity.
Comment from: Rylie K DNHS p. 5
June 9, 2010 10:44 AM [#]
i dont think that GM foods should be banned, because is a lot of cases, it can be more helpful than harmful. GM food can be better for you than the regular food. as some people think that "superbugs" and "superweeds" will be harmful to us, im confident that it will have no effect on us. with the technology that we have today, we can find a way to avoid that from happening.
Comment from: Kelly
July 20, 2010 10:04 AM [#]
modified plants and animals could drastically change "The Circle of Life" and the way people live in relation to the world. everyone is on this "save the world" kick, but we're making things worse by engineering salmon that is too large for bears to catch and so big that they consume more than their average fill. THIS is the future of genetic engineering.
Comment from: Jamie
August 31, 2010 09:33 AM [#]
I think the potential and existing problems of modified foods will outweigh the benefits of modified foods. Through evolotion, weeds and insects will become immune to pesticides will be able to eat GM foods, destroying ecosystems, and creating a world wide crisis. GM foods should be permently banned.
Comment from: AU
May 20, 2011 01:13 PM [#]
It could definitely help niturition as kids might be more willing to try the 'new'fruits and vegtables...and may like them more than the originals
Comment from: Nurserenie
August 13, 2011 12:30 PM [#]
I'd really like more information on how they think it will create "superweeds". I didn't think that corn pollen could pollinate a weed, at least not naturally. I can understand the "superbug" more, but I still don't think it is causing any more resistance than regular pesticides. Bugs are constently adapting, but we are also trying to stay ahead of them.
I am leaning more towards GM foods being GOOD. Yes, quality is good, but Quantity is better for the word...there are so many starving countries that are plagued by drought that could potentially benefit from these crops.
The thing that holds me back is potential health problems...not the allergies, but the use of the bacterial gene Bt and its insecticidal toxin...they say it is harmless to people, but exactly how long have they studied and followed people that have been eating GM food?
Comment from: Sam
October 2, 2011 03:37 PM [#]
What most people don't know about GM foods is that to create one you must take a gene from a bacteria or virus, that could have killed many people people if introduced into humanity, fuse it with a gene found in some organism, single or multi-celled that could come from literally anywhere, and infect the organism you want to modify. This gene that you have modified and released into the world now finds its way into many other organisms and infects them with this gene. Also if you put a gene in an organism that kills insects when they eat the organism, which people have done and released into the world, the organism is now a registered pesticide. Think about it, do you want to be eating a registered pesticide? Remember what I said about the modified genes spreading? You got it. At this point humans can not stop the spreading of any genetically modified gene, including the pesticide ones, released into the world which increases the chance of everything that you eat will be a pesticide with unknown health affects over a long period of time. Basically modifying genes is ruining humanity's long term health and giving them short term wealth. As of right now, all of humanity could be in grave danger of becoming extinct. You can AT LEAST slow this process by fighting against Genetically Modified Foods. For more information about the hazards of GM foods watch "The Future Of Food". It can be found on Netflix and other places. Spread the word people. LEAVE MY FOOD ALONE!
Comment from: jelli
October 26, 2011 05:02 PM [#]
if they are putting pesticide in the GM foods doesn't that mean we are eating it?isn't that harmful to us in any way???
Comment from: Ajay Mittal
October 30, 2011 01:38 PM [#]
A very interesting article about Genetically Modified Foods.
Comment from: Anonymous
November 29, 2011 01:38 PM [#]
if we are eating the pestiside that they put in our food then the pestiside is like poision right, so we would all end up eventually dying.