Genetic modification
... parents. This process takes time compared to genetic modification, which is a simple injection into a parent with the desired gene. 2. Explain 2 ways, and give a specific example of each way, in which eating genetically modified food may have a positive impact on your life. One way eating GM (genetically modified) may have a positive impact is the pest resistance that are developed in these foods. For example, farmers use many different kinds of pesticides to eliminate insects, which are a potential threat to crop growth and result in financial loss. Consumers and environmentalists are against the use of these pesticides due to potential health risks and the excessive use of pesticides can poison the water supply and harm the environment. Therefore, growing GM foods can help eliminate the use pesticides and reduce the cost of maintaining a crop for market distribution (Whitman 2000). Another way in which GM foods may have a positive impact is the health benefits it provides. One example of this is the genetic modification of rice. A response made by a Dr. Liz Dennis, from a forum discussing advantages and disadvantages of GM foods dealt with the recent news of “golden rice”. This altered rice produced high levels of vitamin A or iron and could be used in developing countries where rice is the regular diet (Dennis 2000). 3. Explain 2 ways, and give a specific example of each way, in which eating genetically modified food may have a negative impact on your life. A negative impact GM food has it that it may cause health risks. New allergens may be created when a new gene is introduced causing an allergic reaction in certain individuals. For example, in Brazil a proposal involving genetic modification of a certain plant was discarded due to the ‘unexpected allergic reaction’ it may cause. So testing would be required before distributing to consumers to reduce chance of harm due to allergens. In addition, consuming GM foods may result in unknown effects on health. Many are concerned that adding a foreign gene into plant foods may cause harm to health. For example, a study done on rats that were fed GM potatoes and unmodified potatoes observed that the intestines of the rats’ that were fed the GM potatoes were considerably different from the other rats (Whitman 2000). 4. List 4 foods that you have eaten that are genetically modified or that contain genetically modified ingredients. What is the nature of the genetic modification? 1. Rice- altered to be Herbicide tolerant 2. Coffee- altered to reduce caffe...