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Selectivebreeding led tohigher-yielding
varieties.
What is plant biotechnology?
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Modern cornTeosinte
What is plant biotechnology?
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Desired gene
Traditional plant breedingDNA is a strand of genes,much like a strand ofpearls. Traditional plantbreeding combines manygenes at once.
Traditional donor Commercial variety New variety
Desired GeneX =
(crosses)
(many genes are transferred)
Plant biotechnologyUsing plant biotechnology,
a single gene may beadded to the strand.
Desired gene Commercial variety New variety
(transfers)
=
Desired gene
(only desired gene is transferred)
What is plant biotechnology?
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PHARMING -EDIBLEVACCINES
FOODS CAN BE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TO
CONFER RESISTANCE TO CERTAIN DISEASES
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How common are GMO foods?
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Labeling of GM foods is not mandatoryunless ifthere is a health or safety concern
(Health Canada/Canadian Food InspectionA enc
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Potential Benefits
Humanitarian:
Improved
farming
Cheaper
food
More
food
Increased nutrition
Reducing
world
hunger
and
improving
world
health
Pest resistance
Herbicide
resistance
Cold tolerance
Drought
tolerance
Edible vaccines
Environmental: reduced use of herbicidesand chemicals in farming.
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Potential Environmental Hazards
Reducedeffectiveness of
pesticides asinsects becomeresistant toengineered toxins.
Loss ofbiodiversity
Harm to other organismsPollen from Bt corn was shown to
cause high mortality rates inmonarch butterfly larvae(9). BUT
follow-up studies have shownthat the exposure levels in the
fields are negligible(10).
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Potential Environmental Hazards
Gene Transfer to non-target species Herbicide resistant plants and weeds could
cross breed and create superweeds
To address this one could: Create sterile male plants that dont produce
pollen
Engineer the plants so that pollen doesnt contain
the foreign genes Create buffer zones of non-GM crops around GM
crops. The buffer crops would not be harvested.
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Potential Human Health Risks
Allergens Genetic engineering could potential introduce or
create allergens
For example, inserting genes from a nut into anotherplant could be dangerous for people who are allergicto nuts
Unknown health risks Biological processes involve a lot of
INTERACTIONS It is often difficult to identify every possible
interaction.
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Economic Hazards
Elimination of competition
GM seeds are patented
Suicide seeds
Plants with sterile seeds that are infertile arecreated
Farmers are forced to buy seeds every year
However, some companies have reducedcosts or donated GM seeds toimpoverished nations.
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Creating a balance
So are GM foods agood or bad thing?
It depend on each
individual case. Consumers, the
government andscientists shouldbe responsible forweighing thebenefits againstthe costs.
Improved Nutrition
Resistance to disease
Reduced use of
chemicals
Environmental risks
Health risks
Economic risks