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GM Foods

GM Foods. Marcus Chong Jun Jie Kerry Cao Tian Qin. Contents . Introduction Examples Characteristics Benefits Controversies Issues. Introduction. G.M. stands for Genetically Modified Derived from or produced by GM organisms

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GM Foods

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  1. GM Foods Marcus Chong Jun Jie Kerry Cao Tian Qin

  2. Contents • Introduction • Examples • Characteristics • Benefits • Controversies • Issues

  3. Introduction • G.M. stands for Genetically Modified • Derived from or produced by GM organisms • DNA of GM organisms have been altered through genetic engineering • Does not include forms of genetic modification such as selective breeding and mutation breeding • Modified by taking a gene from another cell type and adapting it into the GM organism DNA • Also known as the recombinant method

  4. Examples • Most GM foods on the market are plant products that have been genetically modified. • Examples include: • Soy • Canola • Tomato • Rice • Potato • Cotton

  5. Characteristics • GM foods are genetically modified such that it will benefit mankind in terms of what we eat. • There are two main aspects than can be improved by genetic modification: • Alteration of input traits: • Resistance to pests and harmful factors • Resistance to pesticide, herbicide • Resistance to disease and virus • Alteration of output traits: • Increased output of crops • Increased duration of shelf life • Increased nutritional value • Increased health benefits • Medical benefits

  6. Benefits • As stated in the characteristics above, these alterations make GM foods a good choice in the market. • GM crops can be modified to be resistant to pests as well as pesticides and herbicides. • It means that it is healthier than normal foods as they are either pesticide-free or pesticide-resistant, which means that we do not have to eat pesticide. • Overall better for our health, just like organic plants.

  7. Benefits • GM crops can also be made to resist disease and other drastic environmental conditions. • This means that there is a high probability that these crops can survive wide-spread diseases as well as droughts or floods. • This increases gross output of crops, which leads to our next point.

  8. Benefits • GM crops can also be modified to yield a higher gross output amount than normal crops. • This leads to a higher income when selling crops for commercial farmers. • Also means that subsistence farmers have more to eat and more to store for rainy days.

  9. Benefits • GM foods can be modified to have a longer shelf life such that it can be stored for longer periods of time without going bad. • This is good for the marketability of the crops as they can be kept for a long time before being sold or consumed.

  10. Benefits • GM crops are mostly altered for extra nutritional value for more health benefits. • This includes modifying crops so that they produce an extra amount of healthy substances such as Vitamins as well as things like Iron and Antioxidants.

  11. Benefits • Certain GM crops such as bananas can be modified such that they serve as vaccines to certain diseases. • These vaccines can be ingested along with the banana, making it convenient and less painful than injections.

  12. Controversies • Safety is a major issue in this controversy. • Might pose health risks to consumers though none of such cases have been documented. • Scientists and pressure groups such as Greenpeace and WWF insist that there is no guarantee.

  13. Controversies • Effects on ecosystems • Reducing the numbers of pest insects in farmland and impacting biodiversity, or by decreasing the use of insecticides. • Attempts to measure effects by farm-scale trials of GM crops, although they have been controversial. • The risk and effects of horizontal gene transfer have also been cited as concerns, with the possibility that genes might spread from modified crops to wild relatives.

  14. Controversies: Case Study • Pusztai potato data • Rats fed potatoes genetically modified to contain lectin, a natural insecticide in snowdrop plants, had stunted growth and immune system damage. • Bioequivalence study of a corn cultivar • Rats were being fed on GM corn: Shows differences in kidney size and blood composition found in this study • However, it was argued that the differences were not biologically meaningly.

  15. Video: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8p7M0WF_7A

  16. References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies#Controversial_cases • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies#Controversial_cases • www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php • www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human.../gmfood.shtml • www.twnside.org.sg/title/hots-cn.htm

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