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Jasmine Schell
ENC 1101
Professor McGriff
20 October 2014
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are organisms, such as plants and animals,
whom have their genes modified to create a new species of that organism. For example, with
modifications, tomatoes may be made plumper, grapes seedless, and oranges juicier (Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, 2014). Tomatoes can be genetically modified to have longer shelf
lives in grocery stores. For animals, a heftier steed can be bred with careful gene selecting and a
whole lot of patience. These steeds can then be cloned to produce pharmaceuticals (2014).
With genetically engineered (GE) plants and animals, biodiversity will come into play.
According to Biodiversity, 2013, with GE organisms, crops, farms, and landscapes will
become diversified. However, genetically modifying plants and animals can take a long time.
Many seasons pass (2014) before the growers can produce seedless grapes and juicier oranges.
Even though some modifications to plants kills pest, the toxins the plant emits (2014) are
harmful to harmless insects, such as butterflies. GMOs are not only dangerous to insects, they are
especially hazardous to humans. Toxins and poisons that are created through genetic engineering
can cause eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), (Genetically Engineered Foods, 2012),
which is a fatal and painful blood disorder (2012). GMOs take too much time to make, are
harmful to the harmless, and can cause a plethora of health issues.

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The process to genetically modify an organism can take a really time long before the
desired results come in. For instance, if a farmer wanted an orange to become seedless, they
would have to crossbreed the orange with a fruit that has few seeds inside of it, such as a grape.
After the orange and grape have offspring, those offspring are paired with each other, and their
offspring is paired and this process keeps going until the seedless orange is produced. This can
take months or years to process, so it is very time consuming. This process for animals will take
even longer. If a breeder wants a heftier horse, they would select parents who are larger and
meatier (Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2104). Next, they pair the two horses and
they must wait for the calf to be born and grow up (2014), which will take a few years. After
the calf matures, the breeders pair it off with a huge bull or cow (2014) and wait until they
have babies to do the process all over again, until the desired horse is born. For plants, only
genetically modifying them to produce a toxin to kill pests is good, but all insects are impacted
by the toxin.
Unfortunately the toxins the plant emits are deadly to all insects reports indicated the
Bt crops also killed butterflies (2014). Bt Bacillus thuringiensis, bacterium that makes plants
produce a toxin, kills off bollworms and stem borers, but also kill harmless insects like
butterflies. Butterflies carry pollen from plant to plant when sucking nectar from flowers, so if
their population decreases, so will some of the flower population. Not only that, but crosspollination is happening. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2014 states that crosspollination can occur when GM (genetically modified) plants that were bred for pest resistance
and hardiness have passed those genes on the weeds growing in the fields (2014). This would
lead to an increase use in herbicides, which is bad for not only the surrounding plants, but for the
environment as well. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2014 argues that genetically

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modifying crops make them tastier and add nutrients, but this has a drawback. Constant
modification can lead to the extinction of natural plants. If that were the case, then serious health
issues would arise.
GMOs, or Frankenfoods would cause a number of health problems in humans and
animals, which would ultimately cause a problem in the environment. Insulin-Like Growth
Factor (IGF-1), a chemical hormone that increases milk production in cows, could pose serious
hazards such as human breast, prostate, and colon cancer (Genetically Engineered Foods, 2012).
This IGF-1is in our everyday foods, and we do not even think about the consequences until it is
too late. The companies who conduct genetic engineering research know the risks in genesplicing. Dr. Arpad Pusztai, a Rowett Institute scientist, knows the dangers of GMOs by saying
this quote: Think of William Tell shooting an arrow at a target. Now put a blindfold on the man
doing the shooting and thats the reality of the genetic engineer doing a gene insertion (2012).
Not only will this impact us as humans, this will harm socioeconomics. Socioeconomics, the
combination of social and economic factors, are at risk too. Farmers who now save and share
their seeds to purchase evermore-expensive GE (genetically engineered) seeds, meaning that
farmers will buy expensive modified versions of seeds for a profit. If this trend is not stopped,
bioserfdom (2012), a system in which farmers will trade plants and animals and pay more for
genetically engineered seeds and offspring, will inevitably take over. Not only that, genetic
pollution will take its course around farmland. Genetic pollution happens when wind, rain,
birds, bees, and insect pollinators begin carrying genetically-altered pollen into fields that
contain non-GE crops. If this keeps happening, then organic crops will soon be turned into
dangerous genetically engineered crops.

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GMOs can have a huge effect on the human population and the environment. We do not
need to use GMOs all of the time; we should save them only when needed. If milk and dairy
products are too low in the market, then we could consider using IGF-1 to increase the
production of milk. When regular antibiotics do not work, we can then modify them to fit our
needs. Even though genetic engineering can cause diversity, it is dangerous to humans and the
environment. We should consider using less of it, instead of being dependent on it. Instead of
using genetically modified foods, we can just eat what is natural instead of what looks good.
Although GMOs are helpful in a way, they also have a negative impact on our society, if we do
not do anything about it.