WHAT GMO IS?

Created by Weronika
Morawska

GMO DEFINITION
Dictionary says:
geneticallymodifiedorganism:anorganismormicroorganismwhose
geneticmaterialhasbeenalteredbymeansofgeneticengineering.
WHO says:
Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material
(DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the
introduction of a gene from a different organism. Currently available GM foods stem
mostly from plants, but in the future foods derived from GM microorganisms or GM
animals are likely to be introduced on the market. Most existing genetically modified crops
have been developed to improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant
diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides.
In the future, genetic modification could be aimed at altering the nutrient content of food,
reducing its allergenic potential, or improving the efficiency of food production systems.
All GM foods should be assessed before being allowed on the market. FAO/WHO Codex
guidelines exist for risk analysis of GM food.

TYPES OF GENETIC
MODIFICATION
Isolation of the gene(s) of interest:Existing knowledge about the structure,
function or location on chromosomes is used to identify the gene(s) that is
responsible for the desired trait in an organism, for example, drought tolerance or
insect resistance.
Insertion of the gene(s) into a transfer vector:The most commonly used gene
transfer tool for plants is a circular molecule of DNA (plasmid) from the naturally
occurring soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The gene(s) of interest is
inserted into the plasmid using recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques.
Deleting or turning of a gene(s): An existing gene may be deleted od reactivate to
prevent the expression of a trait

HOW IS GMO MADE?

Arestriction endonucleaseisanenzymethatcutsstrandsof
DNAataspecificpoint.ItscanstheDNAforaspecifictarget
sequence,andwhenitfindsthattargetsequenceitcleavesthe
DNA.Targetsequencesarerelativelyshort.Forinstance,the
commonrestrictionenzymeEcoR1onlyhasa6basepairtarget
sequence.Todate,thousandsofrestrictionendonucleases(RE)
havebeenisolated,mostlyfrombacteria.Bacteriausethese
enzymesasadefensemechanismbecausethecanrecognize
andcleaveforeign(virus)DNA.
Restrictionendonucleasescancutdouble-strandedDNAinafew
differentways.Sometimesitcutsbothstrandsatthesame
position,whichcausesblunt ends.Othertimesitcutseach
strandatadifferentpointcausingoverhangstooccur.An
overhangmeansthatonestrandislongerthantheother,and
sometimespeoplerefertothisashavingsticky ends.Seethe
diagramsbelowforexamplesofbluntandstickyends.

ETHICAL ISSUE OF GMO

Geneticallymodifiedorganismshavebeenahottopicofdebateamongenvironmentalists,scientists,and
policymakers.Thereareenormousbenefitsthatcancomefromgeneticallymodifiedcropsandanimals,
howevertherearealsoseriousconcernsabouttheconsequencesontheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
Someofthebenefitsofgeneticallymodifiedcropsarethatgenescanbeinsertedthatcausetheplantto
beresistanttomanyharmfulthingssuchasweeds,insects,anddisease.Thiswouldallowforless
herbicidestobeusedonthecropsandmorecropstosurviveandproducefood.Cropscanalsobe
modifiedtohavealongershelflifeinstores,growindryer/colderclimates,beresistanttopests,and
eventohaveincreasednutritionalvalue.
Theconcernsregardinggeneticmodificationdealwiththepossibleunknowneffectsonhumanhealthand
theenvironment.Somenewallergieshaveemergedduetotheconsumptionofgeneticallymodified
foods.Astudyin1998citedthatasoybeanallergywasdevelopedinpeoplewhoingestedtransgenic
soybeansthatwereproducedtobeanimalfeed.Additionally,thereareotherissuesrelatedtopossible
harmfulsideeffectsonotherorganismsthatlivewithordependontheorganismthatisgenetically
modified.OneexampleofthisisBtcorn.Whilethemodificationishelpfulinmakingthecorntoxicto
caterpillars,thepollenfromthesemodifiedplantsmightalsobefataltothemonarchbutterflies.There
aremanyissuestothinkaboutwhendiscussingtheviabilityofgeneticallymodifiedorganisms.Look
throughthelinksbelowtoreadmoreabouttheprosandconsofgeneticmodificationanddecidefor
yourself.

Do we need GM to Feed the

World?
Will GM Reduce Pesticide Use?
Is Genetic Modification Just a
Faster Way of Natural Breeding?
Will GM Reduce Food Prices?
Is GM Better for the Environment?
Is GM a Precise Technology?