Frankenfoods and Their Effects
Frankenfoods - STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Find a definition of “genetically modified organism.” How are genetically modified organisms different from non-genetically modified organisms?
When a gene from one organism is purposely moved to improve or change another organism in a laboratory, the result is a genetically modified organism (GMO). It is also sometimes called "transgenic" for transfer of genes.
Genetically modified organism have a better adaptation or quality than the non-genetically modified organism.
For example: GM cow produces more high quality milk than a normal cow.
2. The recent acts of activists intent on destruction of research plots included plants altered by molecular as well as classical genetic techniques. Is it possible to distinguish between plants altered by classical genetics and those altered by modern techniques? If it is possible, how is it done?
If you have a DNA lab, then you could check: many GM crops will have other genes which have been inserted alongside the actual genes-of-interest. If you find them, then it is most likely you have a GM crop and not a conventionally-bred crop.
Also, many GM crops have features like "terminator technology", which means that the seeds they produce are sterile. This prevents the crop from "escaping" and becoming a "superweed" (though it incidentally also means the unfortunate farmer has to buy seed every year, and cannot save seed over from one year to the next).
3. What safeguards are in place to protect Americans from unsafe food? Are these methods sciencebased?
* FDA will Ensure Adequacy of Industry Prevention Strategies through increased risk based inspections, audits of controls designed to prevent contamination, and sampling at the source. * FDA will Conduct Expanded Risk-Based Surveillance across the food and feed chain to identify gaps in detecting food and feed threats and to institute corrective action before illness or injury occurs. * FDA will
1. Find a definition of “genetically modified organism.” How are genetically modified organisms different from non-genetically modified organisms?
When a gene from one organism is purposely moved to improve or change another organism in a laboratory, the result is a genetically modified organism (GMO). It is also sometimes called "transgenic" for transfer of genes.
Genetically modified organism have a better adaptation or quality than the non-genetically modified organism.
For example: GM cow produces more high quality milk than a normal cow.
2. The recent acts of activists intent on destruction of research plots included plants altered by molecular as well as classical genetic techniques. Is it possible to distinguish between plants altered by classical genetics and those altered by modern techniques? If it is possible, how is it done?
If you have a DNA lab, then you could check: many GM crops will have other genes which have been inserted alongside the actual genes-of-interest. If you find them, then it is most likely you have a GM crop and not a conventionally-bred crop.
Also, many GM crops have features like "terminator technology", which means that the seeds they produce are sterile. This prevents the crop from "escaping" and becoming a "superweed" (though it incidentally also means the unfortunate farmer has to buy seed every year, and cannot save seed over from one year to the next).
3. What safeguards are in place to protect Americans from unsafe food? Are these methods sciencebased?
* FDA will Ensure Adequacy of Industry Prevention Strategies through increased risk based inspections, audits of controls designed to prevent contamination, and sampling at the source. * FDA will Conduct Expanded Risk-Based Surveillance across the food and feed chain to identify gaps in detecting food and feed threats and to institute corrective action before illness or injury occurs. * FDA will
Links: 10. Killing Beneficial Insects: Studies have shown that GM products can kill beneficial insects - most notably the monarch butterfly larvae (Cornell, 1999). 11. Poisonous to Mammals: