GMOs Sergo

8/16/2019 GMOs Sergo

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APRIL 7 , 2016 CURABITUR LEO

First of all, what areGMOs?Genetically Modified Organisms

(GMOs) are plants or animals that

have undergone a process where

scientists alter their genes with

the DNA of other species of livingorganisms, bacteria, or viruses.

This process is done to acquire

desired traits such as resistance to

disease or tolerance of pesticides.

Companies involved with producing Genetically Modified Organisms, such as Monsanto,

Campbell's, and others, have been fighting a long battle with the government for permission to

sell their products. These companies are the leading figure organisations which exploited GMOs

without proper research and understanding. Laws were passed against these companies that had

negative side effects on the bio-engineers who were developing products that could define and

revolutionise the meaning of a sustainable source of food.

What could have these companies done totaint something that sounds so beneficial?

1

THE RISE OF GMOS

After the industrial revolution, all the major companies were fighting for new ideas that they

could monetize. They would try and industrialize anything that they could find. It got to the

point where they were starting to overlook safety procedures and ignore flaws just so that they

could sell their products. GMOs, and mainly GMO foods were one of these rushed products.

In the year 2007, for the twelfth consecutive year, the area of biotech crops planted continued to

increase, with an increasing growth rate of 12% across 23 countries. The large increase in

production seemed terrifying for a lot of individuals. Other corporations saw this fear as an

opportunity to hinder with the bio-engineering corporations.

DNA itself was discovered less than a century ago. GMOs only got about 10-20 years of research

before they were approved by the FDA and sold on the market in the year 1994. Because of the

lack of research, not enough testing, and information was done. Other companies took

advantage of this and started controversies saying that GMOs are harmful to people and that

they shouldn’t be sold. They started releasing manipulated evidence to make GMOs look like a

danger to both animals and humans.




Some of the theoretical longterm effects are:

1. Toxins starting to develop in blood

2. DNA alterations after consuming the GMO products.

3. GMO consumption causes breast cancer.

4. Glyphosate (A chemical used in GMOs) is linked to

birth defects.

All of these claims are held as controversial due to the fact that

the papers were not all written by universities, colleges, orhospitals. They were done by random individuals, and the

experiments were not properly documented. Monsanto used

this weakness to defend itself and to stop anybody from

further reaching into the subject.

But were they really lying?

A paper released from Mayo University stated that these

claims made against GMOs were not worded correctly.

Glyphosate does not cause cancer, it causes the cancer cell

growth to proliferate. Which means that if the individual

already has a tumour present in their body, then consuming

GMOs will cause it to grow faster. This is because tumours are

hormone sensitive and can be stimulated by oestrogen.Glyphosate is a substitute for oestrogen so consuming it results

in proliferation.

Additionally the claim that GMOs cause toxins to develop in

the blood was also manipulated. The authors identified a toxin

Bt protein Cry1Ab, which is only toxic to plants, not to

humans. The toxin has no effect on humans. It is the same

ideology as how chocolate is toxic to dogs but isn’t for us.

2

Are GMOs really

as bad as people

say they are?

“Glyphosate exerted

proliferative e! ects

only in human

hormone-dependent

breast cancer.”

Monsanto responding

to the papers.




What are some benefits of GMOs?

Some benefits of GMOs are that they can be used to

maximise the food portion and nutritional value

without raising the price. This is because they can

modify the DNA of plants to make the most of the

“useful” genes. This process was also done very

similarly by traditional farmers, except under a

different name and a less complicated process. It

was called Selective Breeding.

Selective Breeding is choosing the animals or plants

that have the best traits i.e. (produces most milk,grows the fastest) and then breeding them together

to get strong offspring. The weaker animals were

usually slaughtered and sold.

GMOs follow a very similar process, they extract the

desired gene from the animal and they add it to the new offspring. By doing this they leave the

animal unharmed and they have modified the DNA of an animal in less than a hundredth of the

time as they would with selective breeding.

In fact, GMOs help us more than they harm us.

An example of the benefits is how cows were genetically engineered to produce milk for people

with allergies.

Around 5% of the earth’s population have an allergy to milk and dairy products. It is the most

common allergy that affect children and infants. The severity of the allergy can range from hives

all the way up to fatal anaphylaxis. This is a

serious issue because milk is used in

thousands of recipes, forcing the people

with the allergy to always carry

antihistamines with them wherever they go.

Scientists in New Zealand have genetically

engineered a cow that produces milk with

very little of the protein. They reduced the

percentage of the protein content produced

by the cows.

GMOs helped these individuals live a

normal life without facing crippling

diseases. Genetically Modified Organisms

are our best chance to get a sustainable

source of food for the future.

3

“We are a society of farmers, and for thousands ofyears, farmers have been doing everything in their

power to get the most product from their labor.Genetically modified crops are a way to do that.” Bill

Nye

GMOs Sergo

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