Genetic Modification Advantages And Disadvantages

Genetic modification is a controversial field of science.

Advantages

1. GMO’s allow farmers to increase profits using less resources eg. herbicides

2. Increases the affordability of many foods feeding more mouths and contributing to the goal of beating world hunger

3. The introduction of vitamins increases the foods ability to prevent vitamin deficiency with people eating the foods for example vitamin A in rice “Golden Rice”.

4. The use of herbicides and pesticides are decreased therefore it is healthier to eat these foods.

5. Farmers can now produce bigger yields which will also decrease the price of foods as supply increases.

Disadvantages:

1. Claims have been made by critics that GMO’s cause certain diseases or illnesses

2. Studies have shown that certain GMO’s cause a few insects to be negatively affected by the crop which has the potential to affect the food chain.

3. The introduction of genes from animals into plants could cause conflict in some counties/ religions /population groups.

4. GMO’s are not cultivated in natural manner therefore it has the potential to cause damage to the environment.

5. Larger profits can be made in

It is done by taking a sample of the gene of interest (from Bacillus thuringiensis ) which is a bacteria which is found in the soil and also within the gut of many insects .this particular bacteria produces crystal proteins which are known to be insecticides .the gene of interest is then isolated using recombinant DNA methods taking it through a series of steps that separate the Fragments of DNA.

.This means the sample of DNA extracted from the bacteria will contain the gene which produces the protein which is an insecticide.

After cloning, scientists start the third step this is designing the gene to work once inside a different organism. This is done in a test tube by cutting the gene apart with enzymes and replacing parts of