Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

GMO or the Genetically Modified Organisms are the types of food and animals that were altered genetically to develop useful traits that organic creatures do not have. By genetically modifying the plants and animals, you can have stronger and more human-friendly plants and animals than the naturally grown organisms. They are naturally immune to pests, and other undesirable plants are extinguished by the mere presence of these plants. A common example of the Genetically Modified Organisms are the GloFish, you know, fishes that glow.

The GloFish were developed in the lab and certain changes were made in their DNA and the end result is the cute fish and seahorses that glow! For the plants, most of the cottons that are grown in this country are genetically modified. Sometimes referred to as the FrankenCotton, these cottons are immune to any pests and you need to do is to wait for them to grow. The oils that are extracted from the seeds are used in most of the preservatives on the foods that we have today. You can find them in cookies, peanut butter and cooking oils. Soybeans are also the target of modification where almost 85% of them are now genetically modified.

It’s great that these things were developed. Take a look at the expenses that you need before you can actually get a crop that you really want. With modified plants (also referred to as the “bt” breeds) you don’t need to spend so much money in herbicides especially because of their resistance to any attacks. Thereby giving us more savings and more production, thus more money.

Genetically Modified Organisms look really promising if we take at look at them on the financial sides. However, debates have been going on for years. It’s quite unfortunate that it’s not really on the public eye anymore since people need to be really aware of medical side effects of the Genetically Modified Organisms.

Those who back the GMO say that there are no known side effects to the body even if we eat them as much as we can. That’s basically the point of argument. We don’t know what effects that will bring. Not knowing what the effect of these plants is basically the scary part about these organisms. Since they are modified, they should have some modifications on the way they will act in our body. Besides, these plants are blasted with chemicals, you can say it’s already a composite of chemicals becoming a soybean or cotton.

We can say that we’re lucky considering that only soybean and cotton are the known GMOs here in the States, but in other countries it’s even scarier. Corn and Rice are being pushed to the people as they starve. This is very dangerous in some places that have rice as their staple food.

Still, it’s quite unfortunate that we already have these organisms in our tables almost everyday. The best thing that we can do so far is to locate a local organic market and get most of the foods that we need. Until the long term effect of GMOs are shed to light, we need to be on a look out for the foods that we eat.

Related Directory Categories: Biology Directory, Agriculture Directory, Food and Drink

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15 Comments »

a mixture of an apple and an orange. hum…doesn’t look like you could eat the peal. it would be nice to be able to eat the peal of an apple but it taste like an orange inside.

Comment by Erika — November 3, 2007 @ 1:47 pm

GMO’S are EVIIIIIIIL DAMN YOU HUMAN KIND!

Comment by berrythebear — December 5, 2007 @ 1:20 pm

Do we really need GMO’s? Well, though GMO’s sound harmless enough, they can eventually lead to destruction to crops all over the world. It all starts with a simple, small, tiny piece of matter. Bugs. Bugs may be small and a pest when it comes to crops, and sometimes they’re not too smart. They may not be, but Mother Nature sure is. If we keep genetically engineering these plants and crops, the bugs will adapt. They will adapt and reproduce “Super Bugs”. “Super Bugs” are considered bugs that are impervious to herbicides, pesticides and the special genes that protect the plants from bugs devouring them. Genes may also jump from one species to another such as from a plant that resists weed killer to weeds, rendering them resistant too. Once they are released, they cannot be recalled. Also, inserted genes may cause harmful mutations. I mean honestly, do you want some tomato to look like an orange? I wouldn’t! A big argument that seems to be spreading is black and white. It’s “playing God”. Some people consider these GMO’s as an insult to the natural world and an insult to God. Personally, I am not religious, but genetically engineering different crops seems unnatural and wrong! It’s wrong to mix genes from radically different organisms. Do we really know what will happen if we take genes from a pumpkin and put it in corn? Do we really know what we are doing at all? All of this may not be brand spanking new but new enough that there are a lot of risks we haven’t assessed. Do we need genetically modified food? Why can’t we buy a normal tomato, apple, orange, corn, anything!? We can just as easily wait for the crop to be ready. Labelling measures are not available yet, and is unjust towards those who object. We don’t really know if we are eating GMO’s. What if you just wanted a normal banana? Can’t we just eat a normal banana anymore without us shoving chemicals and different genes in it?

Comment by Emily Hannah — December 7, 2007 @ 11:57 am

make weed into a GMO man. i mean, if it is better, do it up!

Comment by bowlbuddyskank — January 16, 2008 @ 8:39 am

i love GMO foods yummy yummy in my tummy

Comment by jiggles — January 16, 2008 @ 8:43 am

gmos are cool like me, because they are gona help me make my children have wings someday. i hope they will also allow my chidren to chomp on cans of glass and eat them.

Comment by Jimboway — September 10, 2008 @ 9:43 am

I like GMOs because one day my kids can be having wings which will make them fly and put their mouth on glass and break it and stuff and junk.

Comment by Johio — September 11, 2008 @ 5:03 pm

i like the weed idea, and if i had wings i wouod fly to weed heaven

Comment by tanner cruz — February 23, 2009 @ 12:15 pm

Genetically modified organisms are often a touchy subject as it deals with many moral and ethical ideas, making it an opinion based and often biased subject. I can see both sides, however I don’t agree fully with either. As in everything I think moderation is needed.
On the one hand, many medical and economic benefits can be reaped from both the modification of plants and animals. The alterations of plants and animals have been great advances in medical procedures and practices. Such that altered banana’s have been found with a property that could aid in developing a more effective vaccine for Hep B that each year kills more than 500,000 people worldwide. Also modified pig hearts have been used in heart transplants to save lives. In addition, changes in organisms have great economic effects. The modification of plants and animals can result in larger species, yielding more produce, more nutritional value, in the addition of iron and vitamins, and easy of shipping, in that the produce takes longer to spoil or is easy to pack because of shape, size or durability. Making shipping and producing more cost effective and easier. Some researchers have also been working on producing seeds that can grow in weak soils, like those south of the Sahara, making farming easier in 3rd world countries such as those in Africa. This would help the farmers directly to work their way out of poverty and aid in feeding the 2 million plus children of Africa dealing with malnourishment. Though genetically modified foods have many large benefits, many are unsure of where the ethical and moral line should be drawn.
As with anything there is a downside to genetically modified organisms. Although genetically modified organisms such as pigs have been used to save lives, and sheep have through testing cures for human diseases, there are many animal suffering. There is a fine line between acceptable animal testing and animal cruelty, major ethical and moral problems arise from this testing. Many sheep have been slaughtered after being tested for cures of preventable human diseases through correct diet and exercise. It has also been proven that other animals don’t react to human diseases in the same way we do, making the tests invalid. Also the pigs used for heart transplants could spread diseases not encountered by the human race before, potentially turning into an epidemic. There also comes a point where we must ask after how much does this make the patient a pig and what are to happen to their human rights? And the question also arises, should we artificially preserve life? Death is a part of life, should we not accept that? There is also an economic cost to the alteration of animals and plants. Although increasing produce from a single organism is profitable that doesn’t mean however it was ethical way to profit. Many sheep with a human growth hormone inserted were arthritic, ulcerous, and even partially blind. This altering of species, especially of plants, is very costly and prevents seed collection and makes farmers dependent on the biotech companies. So there are economic and medical, ethical and moral rights that need to be questioned.
Many people hold a strong stance either for or against the idea of genetically modified organisms, however I believe in moderation. I believe it is wrong to kill animal such as sheep if they don’t correctly display results of test as they are human diseases tested, however if no organisms were altered many common vaccines and medicines would have been produced. I believe that we need balance and understanding. As much as those standing against GMO’s would like to believe they are bad, they probably at one point saved them from dying, as I know I was saved from scarlet fever when I was a young child. And as much as those standing for GMO’s think, religious, ethical and moral beliefs need to be heard and respected.

Comment by AuzzieRoxy — February 24, 2009 @ 5:25 pm

i want to be a bioengineer when i grow up so i can make a crop that makes all you religious bastards rape yourselves with a GM pineapple that carries all the trashy communist bullshit you believe, like a talking snake in a ball of hateful and painful fruity goodness

Comment by Raggedy Ann — March 5, 2009 @ 11:29 am

i want to fly someday so GMOs are really cool. i can’t wait to get my wings. this webisite is awesome. GMOs look so yummy in my tummy. where can i buy a GMO apple/orange? it looks so great. i’m so hungry. i want to eat it now. bye.

Comment by wallydogg — March 13, 2009 @ 8:04 am

i also want to fly guys, but we will never get wings from gmos, although we could get gills and be fishes

Comment by matt — March 16, 2009 @ 10:39 am

You people are freakin DUMB!!! GMO foods may be good for you but did you know it could effect your baby if your pregnant?? and it could effect how you produce babys in the future.. its not as good as people make it out to be…

Comment by Alisha — April 1, 2009 @ 2:35 pm

I’ve studied GM in school. It is a very touchy subject, and most of the issues with it are based on fear. People are afraid of it, and for good reasons. It is a VERY powerful technology that could be used for good purposes or evil ones. So far it hasn’t been used for anything bad, but people are afraid because it is unnatural and it seems like people are ‘playing God.”

Many medicines that people need to survive are made from GM.
Like Insulin. Insulin used to be produced by killing pigs and taking their Insulin. With GM, bacteria were created that produced a superior Insulin. Many people are dependent on Insulin for survial, my grandma included.

Any GM animal, plant or bacteria needs to be carefully screened before being used. Because it could have negative results. The one that I’m a bit iffy on is GM animals because they have feelings, ect so care has to be taken for their well being. However, bacteria and plants do not. I honestly think the best GM candidates are bacteria. They are very easy to alter, they dont’ suffer, and they easily monitored for generational effects.

GM isn’t good or evil. It is a technology - and its value is in who uses it. Rockets aren’t good or evil. They can be used for evil things like launching Nuclear Missles, or for good things like space exploration.

Comment by Dorothy — July 25, 2009 @ 1:47 pm

I really liked this article because it gave both sides of GMOs, the good and the bad. I have been studying GMOs and pesticides a lot, but want more information. I think GMOs are really bad, though they are good in some ways, they are very bad in others. There are species that have been totally eradicated because of the GMO testing. Think about that, an entire species of butterflies are completely extinct because of the pesticides that were injected into plants to keep away the pests. These plants are so toxic that the insects eating them would die immediately. That was what happened to the caterpillars that fed on the plant. Please tell me how that ISN’T bad!

This article gave a lot of really good information, but I would have liked cited sources.

On another note, I also would have liked if the author of this article proof-read their writing and read it aloud because I detected a lot of grammar mistakes which made it hard to concentrate on the content of the writing.

Comment by Mary — November 5, 2009 @ 9:43 pm

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