What is Transgenic Food?

The transgenic species as immediate food and food processed from transgenic species are called transgenic food.
In other words, transgenic food are those directly made from or processed from the species (animals, plants and microorganisms, etc.) which can produce substances possessing highly effective expressions, such as polypeptide and protein, after one or several types of exogenous genes are transferred into it through the means of genetic engineering.

History of Genetically Modified Food

While genetic manipulation of foods can be traced throughout history, the modern marvels of GMOs and transgenic plants have come to light in just the last few decades. The 1980’s marked the scientific discovery that specific pieces of DNA could be transferred from one organism to another (Cramer, 2001). This became the basis of the genetic modification process. In 1983, the first transgenic plant, a tobacco plant resistant to anti-biotics was created (Cramer, 2001). Then, genetically engineered cotton was successfully field tested in 1990. Five years later, Monsanto the leading biotech company, introduced herbicide-immune soybeans otherwise known as “Round-Up-Ready” (Cramer, 2001). The promise of genetic modification was enhanced even further in 2000, when scientist discovered that the modification process could be used to introduce nutrients and vitamins to enrich foods (Cramer, 2001).

History of genetically modified food

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Answer the following question.

What do you think about Transgenic Food ?(150 words at least)

Advantages and Disadvantages of G.M.O.

Advantages of

 Genetically Modified Foods

• One of the major advantages of genetically modified foods is that they help in controlling the occurrence of certain diseases. There are some foods that cause allergy to people when consumed. By modifying the DNA system of these foods, the properties causing these allergies are eliminated successfully.
• It is also said that genetically modified foods grow faster than the foods that are grown in the traditional manner. Due to this, productivity increases, providing the population with more food. Apart from this, it is claimed that genetically modified foods are a boon in places which experience frequent droughts, or where the soil is incompetent for agriculture, due to which it is difficult to grow normal crops.
• Though the seeds of genetically modified foods are quite expensive, the total cost of production is said to be lesser than the production of traditional crops. The main reason for this is that these foods have natural resistance towards pests and insects and so not much pesticides and insecticides have to be sprayed on them. This reduces the necessity of exposing genetically modified crops to harmful pesticides and insecticides, making these foods free from chemicals and environment friendly as well.
• Genetically modified foods are said to be high in nutrients, and contain more minerals and vitamins than those found in traditionally grown foods. Other than this, these foods also taste better. Another reason for people opting for genetically engineered foods is that they have an increased shelf life and so there is less fear of the foods getting rotten quickly.

 Disadvantages of 

Genetically Modified Food

• The biggest threat caused by genetically modified food is that they can have harmful effects on the human body. It is believed that consumption of these genetically engineered foods can cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics. Moreover, according to some experts, people who consume such foods have high chances of developing cancer. Besides, as these foods are new inventions, not much is not known about their long term effects on human beings. As the health effects are unknown, many people prefer to stay away from genetically modified foods.
• In many countries, manufacturers do not mention on the label that the foods are genetically manufactured because they think that this would affect their business. However, this is not a good practice as consumers do not get the chance to decide whether they should really opt for these foods.
• Many religious and cultural communities are against genetically modified foods because they see it as an unnatural way of producing foods. Many people are also not comfortable with the idea of transferring animal genes into plants and vice versa. Also, this cross-pollination method can cause damage to other organisms that thrive in the environment.
• Experts are of the opinion that with the increase of genetically modified foods, developing countries would start depending more on industrial countries because it is likely that the food production would be controlled by them in the time to come.

Pros and Cons

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Trangenic Food v/s Organic Food

Food is not only necessary for survival, but has become an interest in the minds of many Americans. There are entire television networks dedicated to the subject of food, and the public has been increasingly interested in what they are actually eating. While some food trends come and go quickly, the peoples' interest in where their food comes from has increased steadily over the past decade, fueled by health concerns, sustaining local agriculture and being ecologically considerate. Organic food is rapidly gaining popularity, while genetically modified food is drawing more questions than popularity. In an attempt to compare organic food and genetically modified food, this report will answer:

                                                                         

Organic Food Vs. Genetically Modified Food




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For the nex task, you should make a comparison related to Genetically Modified Food and Organic Food.
You must use as many comparisons as possible, writing an essay with 200 words at least.


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