GMO - Friend or Foe?
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Transcript of GMO - Friend or Foe?
GMOsFriend or Foe?
What is a GMO?
GMOs are more than crops and the companies that produce them.
What is a GMO?
According to the World Health Organization, a GMO is defined as organisms in which the genetic
material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/
How are GMOs created?• DNA is like a universal language for life.• Genes are segments of DNA that contain the
blueprint for characteristics.
http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/basic_genetics.shtml
Organisms modified with this gene become red.
How are GMOs created?Humanity has been responsible for conventional forms of genetic modification since the dawn of
agriculture.
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/selection/corn/
How are GMOs created?• Genes are limited to those of the predecessor.• Random mutations will occur.
http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/thenewgenetics/chapter1.html
Normal Fruit Fly Naturally mutated Fruit Fly
How are GMOs created?
http://student.purduecal.edu/~trgomez/1250_webtext.htm
Applications of GMOs• Medicine• Research• Agriculture
Applications of GMOs• E. Coli bacteria was genetically engineered to
produce human insulin.• Research is ongoing on preventing peanut
allergies and tooth decay.
http://ca-biomed.org/pdf/media-kit/fact-sheets/FS-GMO.pdf
Applications of GMOs• Golden Rice is a modified rice that provides
vitamin A.• Oranges were modified to resist the disease
Huanglongbing.
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140914-florida-orange-citrus-greening-gmo-environment-science/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2012/07/31/ajcn.111.030775.abstract
Purported Risks of GMOs• Adverse health effects on animals and humans.• Negative environmental impact.
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/gmo-myths-and-truths
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Purported Risks of GMOsSeralini’s study showed Roundup Ready crops cause
tumors and organ failure in rats.
http://www.enveurope.com/content/26/1/14
Purported Risks of GMOsRosi-Marshall’s study showed adverse impact from
Bt corn on aquatic ecology.
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/41/16204
ConsensusHowever, both studies were scrutinized for:• Inadequate design and analysis.• Ethics regarding the care of animals.
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090902/full/461027a.html#B1
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2986.htmhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-013-9692-9
Consensus• Overwhelming evidence supporting danger of
pesticides and herbicides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
• No evidence concluding GMOs are inherently dangerous.
Conclusion• Genetic Modification is a technology.• Hurting yourself with a tool doesn’t mean the tool
is bad.
Thank you.