CHAPTER THREE-SPECIFIC ISSUES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
CHAPTER THREE-SPECIFIC ISSUES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
LESSON THREE - GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS LESSON FOUR- THE PERIOD OF NANOTECHNOLOGY LESSON FIVE - CLIMATE CHANGE
LESSON THREE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
LESSON THREE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Genetically Modified Organism
The term GMO or genetically modified organisms are usually employed to crop plants produced for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These organisms are modified in the laboratory to incorporate desired traits such as improving the nutritional content or to increase resistance to pests. According to the FDA and United States Department of Agriculture, there are over forty plant varieties that have completed all the federal requirement for commercialization.
Here are some of the advantages of GM in foods:
One. Pest Resistance -These GM foods that are pest-resistant help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and as well cut the cost of production of the crop.
Two. Herbicide Tolerance -Farmers grow these soybeans which only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications. This can as well reduce the production cost and limits the danger of agricultural waste run-off.
Three. Drought Tolerance and Salinity Tolerance - creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and in groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly harsh places.
Four. Nutrition - rice is a common staple food in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A).