What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic modification?

The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Currently, up to 92% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 94% of soybeans and 94% of cotton [1] (cottonseed oil is often used in food products).

The possible benefits of genetic engineering include:

More nutritious food.

Tastier food.

Disease- and drought-resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources (such as water and fertilizer)

Less use of pesticides.

Increased supply of food with reduced cost and longer shelf life.

Faster growing plants and animals.

There is concern that the use of GM organisms can potentially introduce exotic genes and organisms into the environment that may disrupt natural communities and other ecosystems. This incursion into natural ecosystems can contaminate the natural gene pool and disrupt the biodiversity of such ecosystems.

Almost 85 perecent of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. Many producers modify corn and soy so they are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, which is used to kill weeds. 2) Soy. Soy is the most heavily genetically modified food in the country.

Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism. The goal is to add one or more new traits that are not already found in that organism.

Future GM organisms are likely to include plants with improved resistance against plant disease or drought, crops with increased nutrient levels, fish species with enhanced growth characteristics. For non-food use, they may include plants or animals producing pharmaceutically important proteins such as new vaccines.

Genetic engineering has some potential advantages, such as being able to produce organisms with desired features quickly. On the other hand, it has some potential risks, for example, the inserted genes may have unexpected harmful effects.

In medicine, genetic engineering has been used to mass-produce insulin, human growth hormones, follistim (for treating infertility), human albumin, monoclonal antibodies, antihemophilic factors, vaccines, and many other drugs. In research, organisms are genetically engineered to discover the functions of certain genes.

Here is a list of the 10 most common GMO foods so you can be more aware while grocery shopping.

Soy. Up to 90% of soybeans in the market have been genetically modified to be naturally resistant to an herbicide called, Round Up.

Corn.

Canola oil.

Cotton.

Milk.

Sugar.

Aspartame.

Zucchini.

Advantages and disadvantages of cloning. All the new plants are genetically identical – they will all have the desired characteristics. Organisms that are difficult or slow to breed normally can be reproduced quickly. Some plant varieties do not produce seeds, others have seeds that are dormant for long periods.

Genetic engineering differs from cloning in key ways. Whereas cloning produces genetically exact copies of organisms, genetic engineering refers to processes in which scientists manipulate genes to create purposefully different versions of organisms—and, in some cases, entirely new living things.

GM crops are made through a process known as genetic engineering. Genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another. Two primary methods currently exist for introducing transgenes into plant genomes. The first involves a device called a ‘gene gun’.

Genetic modification caused by human activity has been occurring since around 12,000 BC, when humans first began to domesticate organisms. Genetic engineering as the direct transfer of DNA from one organism to another was first accomplished by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen in 1972.

What genetically modified crops are currently approved to be grown in the US?

Corn.

Soybeans.

Cotton.

Canola.

Sugar beets.

Alfalfa.

Papaya.

Yellow “crook neck” squash.