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Gmo Lab Report

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Gmo Lab Report
Genetically Modified Organisms

INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of this lab was to identify if non-labeled food products are actually genetically modified foods. Before we could begin testing this theory we first had to gain an understanding about genetically modified organisms in general. This was rather easy because if you have been to any grocery store lately you have without a doubt seen products with labels saying "GMO-free" or even "contains only non-GMO ingredients." GMO actually stands for Genetically Modified Organisms, and this refers to any products that have been manipulated or altered at the gene level. Modifying plants is not a new concept. "For centuries, gardeners and farmers have been crossbreeding different species of plants to create plants that produce heartier, better tasting, or more beautiful crops." (Mateljan) However, crossbreeding of plants is acceptable to most individuals where as genetically modifying foods is not. According to the paper Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize " Currently, no regulatory authority requests mandatory chronic animal feeding studies to be performed for edible GMOs and formulated pesticides." (Séralini)This is a major concern to many individuals who have been unaware that they were consuming GMO's in the first place. The genetic engineering of foods that is called GMO's causes many concerns around the world. To genetically engineer a plant one must first obtain genes from an animal, plant, bacterium, or virus. These genes are then inserted into a different organism, usually a plant, which changes the genetic code of the plant forever. The genetic code, or the blueprint that is used to determine all of the organisms physical characteristics are changed within the organisms, this is where people tend to have a problem with GMO's. According to the paper How to Deal with the Upcoming Challenges in GMO Detection in Food and Feed " In many countries


Cited: Mateljan, George. The Worlds Healthiest Foods. Seattle: George Mateljan Foundation, 2006. Séralini, Gilles-Eric. "Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant." Elsevier (2012): 4221-4231. Sylvia R. M. Broeders, Sigrid C. J. De Keersmaecker, and Nancy H. C. Roosen. "How to Deal with the Upcoming Challenges in." Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnolog (2012): 11.
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