Jason Alcalde 2/23/158 - Hooke

Answer the ff.

1. Find a definition of genetically modified organism. How are genetically modified organisms different from non-genetically modified organisms? GMOs (orgenetically modified organisms) are living organisms whose genetic material has beenartificially manipulated in a laboratorythrough genetic engineering. This science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding method. GMOs are done when you get a gene from a particular organism and put it into another organism to improve ones characteristics to produce reliable and beneficiary products.

GMOs are different from Non-GMOS particularly in the structure and contents of their genes. In GMOs we know that there is an alteration of genes that makes it different from normal ones that makes it have a better adaptation or quality. While in Non-GMOs, it is the original one, it is the genes where in it is not yet manipulated through genetic engineering and does not contain any special characteristic.

2. Is it possible to distinguish between plants altered by classical genetics and those altered by modern techniques?It is possible in a way that if you have lab you can check it. Because a GM crop will eventually contain other genes inserted together with the genes of interest. That makes it genetically modified in a modern way and not a conventionally-bred crop. And classical genetics does make beneficiary products but not like the ones which are altered by modern genetics, because we know that as time goes by more ways are developed to enhance a way developed classically. So we can infer that techniques developed in modern times are more effective than classical ones because it is done with higher technology so the difference is big. 3. Name as many examples as you can of harm to citizens from unsafe food.Harm to citizens from unsafe food includes allergic reactions and poisoning caused by the chemicals contained by GM foods, different side-effects like the change of the color of eyes, growing extra body parts, etc and it can cause illnesses and diseases that can lead to death.

4. How have genetic modifications of fruits and vegetables improved crops with respect to nutritional composition, shelf life, eating quality, yields and disease resistance? Genetic modifications of fruits and vegetables have improved nutrient amount in a way that it contains more vitamins that can help people fight disease and maintain a healthy body. It also reduced spoilage that makes the quality of eating more enjoyable and nutritious. It also helped resist chemical contamination and even immunization against disease due to its special characteristics its yields became more reliable and very beneficiary.

5. Can you describe a scenario in which public health and safety might be threatened by foods crops modified by technology? Genetically modified food crops may have a common weakness that natural crops do not have. This means that a supply of food may be a refuge of any bacteria type. And some modified crops may have a side effect that can threaten public health and safety because of the combining of foreign genes, it can be carcinogenic that may cause cancer. And some GM crops can cause allergic reactions when intake by people because it may contain different chemicals inserted by Scientists to produce special characteristics. And it may cause too birth defects and can cause shorter life span.

6. Does biotechnology post any risks to the environment? If so what are these risks?Biotechnology can post risks to the environment, one of these are genetically modified weeds. Genetically modified weeds have become resistant to herbicide and glyphosate. Because of the overuse of the roundup ready trait in plants has caused some weeds to become immune to herbicide and glyphosate. Farmers are now going to start using older weed killers like 2, 4-D, and dicamba. Scientists are also making plants that are resistant to the old weed killers.

7. Is there any reason to be concerned by the role of private corporations in the development of agricultural biotechnology? Should companies be allowed to patent organisms? Yes, we should be concerned to private corporations because they are able to control the number of crops produced through agricultural biotechnology if they patent particular strains of GM crops. That makes them a hindrance to the development of agricultural biotechnology and we dont know what experimentation they are doing to plants and animals and in what way they can be a risk to our health.

They should be allowed to patent organisms because, they spend time and money to develop or discover something for the benefit of having an easier life of humans.

8. Do you think there are good reasons for using legal means against the development of biotechnology-modified foods? Why or why not? I believe that there are good reasons for using legal means against the development of biotechnology-modified foods. Because we know that these crops can cause various side effects that can affect our health, like allergic reactions and in worst cases, it can kill us. So it is not bad for us to be worried about these and make a move by using legal means to demolish this kind of experimentation.