Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. This document discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of GMOs. The advantages include increased crop yields, reduced use of pesticides, and the potential for developing more nutritious foods. However, the disadvantages include the possibility of creating pesticide-resistant "super pests" and weeds, unintended gene transfer to other organisms, unknown long-term health effects, and ethical concerns about manipulating nature. Overall, the document argues that while GMOs offer benefits, the potential disadvantages pose serious risks that outweigh those benefits.

1. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

2. GMO A Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is an organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant DNA technology is the ability to combine DNA molecules from different sources into one molecule in vitro. Thus, the expression of certain traits, the phenotype of the organism, or the proteins it produces, can be altered through the modification of its genes.

3. GMO are living organisms that have been altered through genetic engineering. The purpose of creating GMOs is usually to combine beneficial genes of different organisms in a single organism often for he purpose of consumption as a food source. Genetic modification involves the insertion or deletion of genes. When genes are inserted, they usually come from a different species, which is a form of horizontal genes transfer. In nature, this can occur when exogenous DNA penetrates the cell membrane from any reason. To do this artificially, may require attaching the genes to a virus or just physically inserting the extra DNA into the nucleus of the intended host with a very small syringe, or with very small particles fired from a gene gun. However, other methods exploit natural forms of gene transfer, such as the ability of

4. Agro bacterium to transfer genetic material to plants, or the ability of lent viruses to transfer genes to animal cells. The general principle of producing a GMO is to add new genetic material into an organisms genome. This is called genetic engineering and was made possible through the discovery of DNA and the creation of the first recombinant bacteria in 1973; an existing bacterium E.Coli expressing an oxygenic Salmonella gene. This led to concerns in the scientific community about potential risks from genetic engineering , which were thoroughly discussed at the Asilomar Conference. Herbert Boyer then founded the first company to use recombinant DNA technology, Genentech and in 1978 the company announced creation of an E.Coli strain producing the human protein insulin.

5. In 1986, field tests of bacteria generally engineered to protect plants from frost damage (ice-minus bacteria) at a small biotechnology company called Advanced Genetic Sciences of Oakland, California, were repeatedly delayed by opponents of biotechnology.

6. ADVANTAGESOF GMOs

8. more economically friendly as pesticide do not go into the air , soil and water. Their production hazards to the environment also decreases

9. decrease in costs of growing and farming, due to the reduced use of pesticides

10. higher crop yields

11. farmers have more income

12. less starvation in the world due to decreased food prices and increase food production

13. less deforestation needed to feed the world growing population

15. reduction of sickness and illnesses, as GMO crops are more nutritious

16. development of new kinds of crops that can be grown at extreme climates

18. biofuels: organic matter could be bred to provide energy

20. more food from less land: as more GM crops can be grown on relatively small parcels of lands, GM crops are an answer to feeding growing world population

23. genes from the genetically modified could be transferred to the pests which can make them become resistant to the pesticides and the pesticides become useless

24. artificial genetic modification of an undesired organism may result in simultaneous natural genetic (or other) modification of an undesired organism

25. the natural taste of the food product is somehow get disrupted

27. herbicide- resistant and pesticide-resistant crops could give rise to “super weeds” and “super pest” that would need newer, stronger chemicals to destroy them

28. GM crops could cross-pollinate with nearby non-GM plants and create ecological problems or harm to other organisms

29. more geopolitical conflicts

30. possible creation of new kinds of weapons; genetic food and beverage weapons

31. additional costs of labeling weather products are GMOs or not

33. allergies may become intense, and also, new allergy types may develop

34. new viruses would be encourage to mutate into more dangerous, virulent forms that would be stoppable

35. genetically engineered products have the capacity of being toxic and threatening to human and animal health

36. it affects food chain

37. could kill off entire populations of insects that are not considered pest

40. Genetically Modified Organisms, a very controversial issue. Some are saying “let’s go for it” some say “stop using GMO products”. Should we tolerate using GMO products??? Critics say , there are no such disadvantage of GMO proved on a scientific point of view but they are always under ethical misjudgment. Actually, there’s so many advantages we can get from using GMO products. It can increase our income, makes the food more nutritious, can cure or detect many diseases and many other benefits that we can derived from using GMO. It is also stated, that it can end the world hunger with GM food, but it is a false claim. World hunger is not cause by shortage of food production, but it is by sheer mismanagement and lack of access to food brought about by various social financial and political causes. It is also because of being indolent of many people and lying to the govt.

41. It is true that GM crops like corn could be a “super food”. It is called “super food” because it is cheap to produce, grow fast in large quantities and highly nutritious. But …, the genes from GM food could be transferred to the pest which can make them become resistant to the pesticides and the pesticides become useless. Or it is what we called “super pest” and “super weeds” Another is pest resistant which can kill the whole family of insects even it is not pest. Like butterfly, do you want this beautiful insect would gone because of using GMO??? Butterfly is created by God, so we need to value and love it as God loves us. What if the scientists shall got a mistake of inserting genes to one organism??? That organism shall die. Changing one gene could change the entire image of one organism. We all know that the process of doing GMO is by

42. Inserting the beneficial gene of different organism in a single organism. In that case, the question is: does the men have the right to manipulate the law and course of nature??? Only God has the right to manipulate what He had created. So, despite the many advantages, there are heavy disadvantages, that can affect human’s health and environment. So, I’ll go with the left side, the DISADVANTAGES. No matter how GMO can benefit us, the only point is it has heavy disadvantages that could turn in human nightmare or deluge of Earth.

43. THANK YOU AND GODBLESS Prepared By: Norma C. Rubi