Genetically Modified Organisms

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: SCIENCE, HEALTH AND POLITICS
What is genetic engineering?
Genetic engineering refers to the direct manipulation of DNA to alter an organism’s characteristics (phenotype) in a
particular way.
What is genetic engineering?
 Genetic engineering, sometimes called genetic modification, is the process of altering the DNA in an
organism’s genome.
 This may mean changing one base pair (A-T or C-G), deleting a whole region of DNA, or introducing an additional
copy of a gene.
 It may also mean extracting DNA from another organism’s genome and combining it with the DNA of that
individual.
 Genetic engineering is used by scientists to enhance or modify the characteristics of an individual organism.
 Genetic engineering can be applied to any organism, from a virus to a sheep.
 For example, genetic engineering can be used to produce plants that have a higher nutritional value or can
tolerate exposure to herbicides.
How does genetic engineering work?
To help explain the process of genetic engineering we have taken the example of insulin, a protein that helps regulate
the sugar levels in our blood.
 Normally insulin is produced in the pancreas, but in people with type 1 diabetes there is a problem with insulin
production.
 People with diabetes therefore have to inject insulin to control their blood sugar levels.
 Genetic engineering has been used to produce a type of insulin, very similar to our own, from yeast
and bacteria like E. coli.
 This genetically modified insulin, ‘Humulin’ was licensed for human use in 1982.
The genetic engineering process
1. A small piece of circular DNA called a plasmid is extracted from the bacteria or yeast cell.
2. A small section is then cut out of the circular plasmid by restriction enzymes, ‘molecular scissors’.
3. The gene for human insulin is inserted into the gap in the plasmid. This plasmid is now genetically modified.
4. The genetically modified plasmid is introduced into a new bacteria or yeast cell.
5. This cell then divides rapidly and starts making insulin.

6. To create large amounts of the cells, the genetically modified bacteria or yeast are grown in large fermentation
vessels that contain all the nutrients they need. The more the cells divide, the more insulin is produced.
7. When fermentation is complete, the mixture is filtered to release the insulin.
8. The insulin is then purified and packaged into bottles and insulin pens for distribution to patients with diabetes.
An illustration showing how genetic modification is used to produce insulin in bacteria.

What else is genetic engineering used for?
 The first genetically modified organism to be created was a bacterium, in 1973.
 In 1974, the same techniques were applied to mice.
 In 1994 the first genetically modified foods were made available.
 Genetic engineering has a number of useful applications, including scientific research, agriculture and
technology.
 In plants, genetic engineering has been applied to improve the resilience, nutritional value and growth rate of
crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and rice.
 In animals it has been used to develop sheep that produce a therapeutic protein in their milk that can be used to
treat cystic fibrosis, or worms that glow in the dark to allow scientists to learn more about diseases such
as Alzheimer’s.
Genetic engineering has been with the human society since selective breeding was introduced to humankind and
when animals were domesticated.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
Genetically modified organism is the term used for an organism created through genetic engineering. The World
Health Organization (WHO, 2014) defines GMO as an “organism, either plant, animal, or microorganism, in which the
genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.”
DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code. Like a recipe book it holds the
instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies.
The development of GMOs was perceived to help in the advancement of technology for the benefit of humans in
different industries like agriculture and medicine.
GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries
1. Pest resistance
2. Virus resistance
3. Herbicide tolerance
4. Fortification – genetically modified with certain minerals
5. Cosmetic preservation – genetically modified plants resist natural discoloration
6. Increase growth rate – a genetically modified organism that has higher yield in growth than normal
species
GMOs in Non-Food Crops and Microorganisms
1. Flower production
2. Paper production
3. Pharmaceutical productions
4. Bioremediation – use of modified plants that can assist in the bioremediation of polluted sites
5. Enzyme and drug production
6. GMOs in the medical field
Benefits of GMOs
1. Higher efficiency in farming

 Less use of herbicides/pesticides
 Lower cost of labor and cultivation
2. Increase in harvest
3. Control of fertility – controlling the purity of the hybrid seeds (GMO seeds) ensures higher yields
4. Increase in food processing
5. Improvement of desirable characteristics
 Offer longer shelf life
 Enhanced color and taste
 Enhanced production or reduction of enzymes
6. Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
7. Reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides
Potential Risks of GMOs
1. Since genetic engineering is still a young branch of science, there are inadequate studies on the effects of GMOs
to humans and the environment.
2. Genetic engineering promotes mutation in organisms which the long term effect is still unknown.
3. Human consumption of GMO might have the following effects:
 More allergic reactions
 Gene mutation
 Antibiotic resistance
 Nutritional value
Potential Environmental Risks Caused by GMOs
1. Risk in Gene flow – there is a potential risk of the modified gene to be transferred from the GMO crop to its wild
relative or organism in the soil and human intestine (when ingested). For example, a decaying GMO plant could
possibly transfer the modified genes to the bacteria and fungi in the soil. Bacteria and fungi are capable of using
a genetic material from their surroundings.
2. Emergence of new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems
3. Recombination of virus and bacteria to produce new pathogens (a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that
can cause disease).
Other Direct and Indirect Environmental Risks Caused by GMOs
1. Direct Environment Risks are:

 Introduction of GMOs in the natural environment may cause disruption of the natural
communities through competition or interference
 The possibility of unexpected behavior of the GMOs in the environment if it escapes its intended
use and may post threats or become pest
 May cause harmful effects to ecosystem processes if GMOs interfere with the natural
biochemical cycles
 The persistence of GMO genes after its harvest which may cause negative impacts to the
consumer of GMO products/
2. Indirect Environmental Risks are:
 Alteration of agricultural practices like managing negative impacts of GMOs to the environment
such as evolution of insects, pests, and weeds that became resistant to GMO crops
 May have impact to biodiversity caused by the alteration in agricultural practices
 May have varied environmental impacts due to GMOs interaction and release in the natural
environment
Potential Human Health Risks caused by GMOs
 Consumption of GMOs may have adverse effects since it is not naturally or organically produced
 Consumption of GMOs may alter the balance of existing microorganisms in the human digestive
system
 Production of toxins may be detrimental to human health
 Production of allergens may have adverse effects on humans
Other potential risks
 Human Genome Project (HGP)

 Mutation
 Cloning
Biosafety on GMOs
 The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
 International Trade Agreement on Labeling of GM food and food products

Genetically Modified Organisms

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Genetically Modified Organisms

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Genetically Modified Organisms

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: SCIENCE, HEALTH AND POLITICS

What is genetic engineering?

What is genetic engineering?

 Genetic engineering can be applied to any organism, from a virus to a sheep.

How does genetic engineering work?

The genetic engineering process

5. This cell then divides rapidly and starts making insulin.

7. When fermentation is complete, the mixture is filtered to release the insulin.

An illustration showing how genetic modification is used to produce insulin in bacteria.

 The first genetically modified organism to be created was a bacterium, in 1973.

 In 1974, the same techniques were applied to mice.

 In 1994 the first genetically modified foods were made available.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)

GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries

GMOs in Non-Food Crops and Microorganisms

1. Higher efficiency in farming

Potential Risks of GMOs

Potential Environmental Risks Caused by GMOs

Other Direct and Indirect Environmental Risks Caused by GMOs

1. Direct Environment Risks are:

Potential Human Health Risks caused by GMOs

Other potential risks

 Human Genome Project (HGP)

 The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

You might also like