Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Organisms!
Is Genetically Modified Food Safe
Enough to feed the Worlds
Growing Population?
ISU
Nicketta Lagadoo
Dec. 8, 2009
Mr. Watts
SBI4U
What Is Genetic Modification?
Genetic Modification of an organism, is
a process where by the genetic
material( DNA or RNA) of an organism
is transferred to another organism
using biotechnology to achieve a
desired effect
Scientists alter the genetic make up of
an organism to enhance a desired trait
for commercial advantage for
agricultural production
Traits are taken from other plants,
bacteria, viruses and animals
Traits that are desired include:
resistance to insects or pathogens,
increase nutritional content, herbicide
tolerance, longer shelf life in grocery
stores, ability to grow faster and
bigger, delayed ripening, or higher oil
content, etc.
History of GMOs:
Genetic Modification is not one of
the 21st century, but has been
around since the begginning of
aguculture
Humans have been naturally
genetically modifying plants, to
create the best offspring using
selective breeding
The process included the mixing
of many genes together in order to
achieve a specific result
Crops that have been genetically
Since traditional breeding modified include:
techniques are time consuming, canola
and not accurate, genetic corn, including popcorn and sweet
modification allows scientists to corn but not blue corn
target the exact desired gene to cotton
be inserted into an organism in a flax
short amount of time
papaya
In 1994 , the first commercially potatoes
grown, genetically modified food
was a tomato created by Flavr soybeans
Savr squash (yellow crookneck)
sugar beet
tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes
How the Process Works:
The process of genetically modifying a
plant is as follows:
1. A plant with the desired characteristic is
identified.
Eubanks, Mark W. (2003). Genetically Modified Foods. Retrieved Nov. 8, 2009, from Science Center database.
Food Standards Agency. (2003). GM Basics. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2009, from
http://www.food.gov.uk/gmdebate/abountgm.
Hanrahan, Clare (edu.). (2008). Global Resources. New York: Green Haven Press.
Health Canada. (2009). The Safety of Genetically Modified Foods. Retrieved Nov. 10, 2009, from http://www.hc-
sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/gm-tg-eng.php.
Human Genome Project Information.(2008). Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2008, from
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human-Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml
Pictures:
http://www.chamah.org/assets/images/man-receiving-food-pkgs.jpg
http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/00775/dna.jpg
http://www.sott.net/image/image/16377/full/tomato.jpg
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/image_full/international/photosvideos/ hotos/greenpeace activists-
protest-a-10.jpg
http://chargar.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/canned-food1.jpg
http://sustainabletable.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/corn1.jpg
http://www.goldenrice.org/
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec006group5/files/percent_gmos_worldwide_chart.gif
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/kabernd/seminar/2004/GMevents/NH/foodlabel.jpg
http://www.worldproutassembly.org/GM-foods.jpg