Preview

Genetically Modified Foods Research Paper

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
402 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Genetically Modified Foods Research Paper
GMOs are genetically modified organisms, in short. To expand, these organisms have had their genetic material (legitimately, pieces of their DNA) altered to a point that is a polar opposite of what would naturally occur in nature if it had not been used for this purpose. This act of altering DNA occurs in a laboratory, performed by genetic engineers. These said engineers take the organism in which they would like to alter and insert one (or more, in some cases) new pieces of DNA into the desired organism. Companies who sell food with genetically modified organisms tend to tell their public that the purpose for incorporating these organisms into their food is to replace it with proteins that are specifically designed to ward off insects that try to eat the crop, therefore making the value of their product go done, and with that, their profits. …show more content…
In concern to my mention of "proteins," I mean the proteins in the food/ crop that give it its specific identity. By genetically modifying food, genetic engineers can reprogram cells to make new protein or they can modify the structure or function of an existing protein in the cell. There is, in fact, an art to making these GMOs, done by the genetic engineers. They use the techniques of genetic modification to cut and/ or slice the DNA of the organisms. Genetic engineers have the very power to isolate, modify, and move the DNA (and the information which it carries) to and from both organisms. By doing so, new functions, characteristics, and traits can be introduced into a desired crop or plant. This concept seems to be ingenious, something that we could have never done 50 years ago with our technology. However, the very act itself is extremely difficult to perform. It is not something that can be done swiftly and effortlessly- it takes hard work, and sometimes, even the best genetic engineers can make a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Miss

    • 8881 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Let the companies that they have to disclose everything they use to make their products and let the consumers decide if they want to continue to use the products. Conclusion GMO are any organism, genes or genetic material of which have been modified in a way that does not occur naturally through mating or natural recombination or both. Plants can be modified to increase their resistance to insects, diseases and other pests that are capable of destroying or seriously damaging crops. This not only results in an increase in the yield of these crops, but also reduces the need for using pesticides. Reduced pesticide use implies decreased pollution and increased safety for farm-workers and those living nearby, as well as less harm to animal life.…

    • 8881 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gm Foods Response Paper

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages

    GM foods are produced from genetic engineering. Scientists take a certain gene from an organism that is desired and put it into another organism. For example, scientists might take a drought resistant gene from a plant and insert it into a crop, so that crop will not die during a period of low rainfall. There are various ways to add in these desired genes, such as crossbreeding, which has been…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Monsanto Research Paper

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMOs, are engineered by humans to enhance plants by introducing DNA from different organisms into other plants (Latham). Scientists originally designed GMOs to help combat world hunger and make the world a healthier place. Nevertheless, the opposite has occurred. GMOs have contributed to an increase in allergies, diseases, and uncontrollable side effects, as well as making the environment unsafe for humans, animals, and the agriculture industry.…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gmo Persuasive

    • 2133 Words
    • 9 Pages

    A GMO is an organism whose genetic makeup is changed by humans. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant, animal or microorganism whose genetic code has been altered, subtracted, or added (either from the same species or a different species) in order to give it characteristics that it does not have normally.…

    • 2133 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic Modification (GM) or Genetic Engineering (GE) is the process of manipulating genomes from an organism, such as plants and animals, to another using the techniques of biotechnology. Genetic modified foods are created from the procedures of genetic engineering and play an important role in the society’s lifestyle. GM foods can be both beneficial and disadvantageous to the society and environment. It can be advantageous as it can improve agricultural production, help improve nutrition in the body and also contribute to medical research. However it can also be disadvantageous as it may harm organisms in the environment, be a factor of human illnesses and its cost inefficiency.…

    • 852 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A genetically modified organism is an organism whose DNA or genetic makeup has been modified to code for certain desirable traits("Genetically Modified Foods"). Common genetically modified plants include corn and soy, and common genetically modified animals are fish. Many genetically modified plants are coded to resist bugs, grow faster, and produce bigger fruit, while most GMO animals are coded to grow faster and have better meat. This can help alleviate world hunger, and can also lower the cost of food production.(Calhoun) To determine if the food we selected was genetically modified, we used two biotechnology techniques: PCR and…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Monsanto Research Papers

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Genetically modified crops, or GMOs, are crops that are cross breaded and technology added to perform better for growers and to fit consumer’s needs. Monsanto is the leading producer…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What exactly are GMOs? Genetically modified foods are organisms manipulated in a laboratory setting, so their genetic make-up can be modified. Many supporters choose GMOs to prevent the use of herbicides, pesticides, greenhouse emissions, and for the reduced costs of food. They argue that a variety of potatoes, cotton, and maize, carry many genes from Bacillus thuringiensis which successfully control insect population worldwide during its use, especially in the U.S where they are currently being sold commercially. Also, they stand by their point of the use of these products will greatly decrease pesticide use. Progress has been in the GMO industry with oilseed grape,…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gmo Research Paper

    • 1726 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Someone out there has probably wondered why their tomatoes which they bought at a supermarket, taste different than the tomatoes at a farmers market. Well to answer that curious person, the tomatoes from the supermarket are most likely Genetically Modified. Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) are organisms in which genetic material (DNA) have been altered in a way that is not natural. Basically they are inserting genes of another species into their DNA, the process is known as biotechnology. 45 percent of corn and 85 percent of soybean are genetically modified. Fulton states that “some 70-90 percent of processed food is genetically modified and has been that way for years” (“Politics Heating Up Over…”). The first GM plant was produced in 1983, an antibiotic resistant tobacco. In 1990 the first GM cotton was produced, from then on scientists and farms have tied to make everything genetically modified. It is important for people to understand what they are eating and how it was made.…

    • 1726 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gmos Argumentative Essay

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages

    70 to 80 percent of the processed and manufactured foods available in a conventional grocery store,contain one or more ingredients that contain genetically engineered organisms ("Are GMOs Contributing to the Rise in Chronic Health Conditions in Our Children? - GMO Science"). Genetically modifying organisms is the process by which people remove the genes from the DNA of one species and artificially forced into genes of an unrelated plant or animal. Farmers will modify their crops, with plants that have traits that are resistant to insects in order to improve their crops, Major food industries uses this method/process of modifying their foods because it enhances the quantity and quality. These same companies, also claim that GMOs are more nutritional and are a solution towards ending world hunger.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It’s been said that humans are what they eat. The relationship humans have with food is unappreciated. Food is the fuel that keeps humans going, gives them the energy needed to be creative and productive; it is the building block of society, after all, it wasn’t until the Neolithic Era, when humans figured out a way to domesticate plants and animals, that any form of organized society formed. Even during the previous hunter-gatherer foraging era, humans were very connected to the food they ate; understanding where it came and having an idea of how it came to be was crucial to knowing what was vital to survive. In this time, food sources like grains, fruits, and vegetables were naturally abundant, whole. Humans could choose between many different types of nutritious food because there were thousands of varieties of species. Unfortunately, as populations grew and more civilized societies formed, various farming techniques were created, and a vast majority of these species became extinct to make way for the harvesting of a select few (Pringle). In the industrial era, societies around the world, especially western ones, emphasized the importance of technological advancements. With this pursuit of technology, nature became something to control rather than live with; an attempt at making life simpler, better. Breaching the gap between nature and technology is optimization. It is this obsession with optimization that most accurately characterizes contemporary America. Undoubtedly, it comes with great costs. As it turns out, optimization is a business, and a profitable one. Thus, the costs and effects of optimization are often hidden from the public by industrial leaders in an effort to maintain profits. They control the businesses they run and protect themselves by dumping millions of dollars into politics. Today, it seems that the gap between nature and technology has been breached with the propagation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The aliens that now fill…

    • 4564 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nigger

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms are more or less a new species created by scientists by doing this they can transfer genes in the genetic makeup of any plant or even animal. GMOs are now a major player in the agricultural industry companies that sell these altered seeds are now huge billion dollar corporations controlling the majority of the agriculture in the United States and it now appears they are attempting to completely eliminate all farms that refuse to use their GMO altered seeds. The purpose of a GMO altered crop is to increase yields and also to reduce the amount of chemicals that are used.…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Modified and engineered foods are highly debated yet often not clearly understood by the public. It can seem almost impossible to find trustworthy information on GM crops. Studies and scholarly articles can even elicit controversy. Many different terms can be tossed around, which is often confusing to someone not well versed in the vocabulary. We may hear, Genetically Engineered (GE) food or Genetically Modified Food (GMF) and although we may see the terms GM and GE used interchangeably, they are not one in the same. Genetic engineering refers to foods that have had their DNA altered by the insertion of genes from an unrelated species, to introduce new, desirable traits that would not otherwise happen in nature. Genetic…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Genetically Modified Foods

    • 2245 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Throughout my time enrolled in this course, I have learned many valuable lessons. However, the most important lesson that I have learned is how to be a better writer. By completing the various assignments in this course, particularly the substantiation assignment, I have learned how to better explain my opinions as well as support them. However, one of the major challenges that I faced in this course was properly citing my work. Since I have used a different style of citation throughout high school, it was difficult for me to adjust to the new citation rules at the university level.…

    • 2245 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    GMOs have been around for many years, but it has not been debated about until recently. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. GMOs are created through genetic engineering, which takes DNA from a species and adds it to another to make a new species. This allows farmers to grow the best crops using as little resources as possible. FDA has approved use of some crops such as corn, soy, cotton, and more. Most of the foods we eat are genetically modified. Genetically modified foods are safe to eat because they can last longer, provide environmental protection, and have more nutrient.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays