GMOs: Pros and Cons

Tejash Sikka

Author: Treacy Colbert

Published: September 15, 2014

Link: http://www.healthline.com/health/gmos-pros-and-cons#1

Summary: If you have eaten anything today, you have most likely consumed genetically modified foods. GMO seeds are used to plant over 90 percent of corn, soybeans, and cotton produced in the U.S. today. Seeds are genetically engineered for several reasons. They are genetically engineered to increase  seed resistance to insects or to grow better crops. Another reason of why they are engineered is to give foods stronger colors, longer shelf life, or to eliminate seeds, so that consumers can buy seedless watermelons and grapes. Some GMO foods have higher levels of nutrients, such as protein, calcium, and folate, which can make the foods that humans eat more beneficial towards their health. People can also mass-produce GMO crops, which can help third-world countries have more food for their citizens to eat. Since GMO foods have longer shelf life, they can reach to remote areas also. People that are concerned about the safety of GMO crops do not need to worry. They are required to meet the same safety requirements as foods made with non-GMO plants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic-resistant germs infect about two million people each year. These infections claim at least 23,000 peoples' lives each year. Since antibiotic-resistant genes are put into GMO corn and soy crops, there are questions of whether there could be a link between GMO crops and the deaths of those people. No studies so far confirm this claim to be valid.

Connection: This article relates to our molecular genetics unit. One topic that we discussed in this unit, was about genetically modified foods, and the pros and cons of them.  This article gives us several pros and cons about GMO foods. In class, we also had a debate on genetically modified foods. One side argued for the benefits of these foods, and the other side argued about the negatives. Mr. Mathieu also made genetically modified bread made from yeasts, and asked us if we would eat it or not. Most of us said yes, and only a small amount of people said that they would not eat it. This article also relates to a section in our textbooks called “The GMO Controversy.” This section stated that GM crops might have unknown risks  to human consumers and that GM products should be labeled so that people know when they are consuming a genetically modified product. The article above states similar points and ideas to the textbook.