Critiquing Transgenic Organisms Utilization

Critiquing Transgenic Organisms utilization 1
CRITIQUING TRANSGENIC ORGANISM UTILISATION
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Critiquing Transgenic Organisms utilization 2
Introduction
The 21st century is marked by technological advances and one outstanding breakthrough
in improving life is the recombinant DNA technology. Genetic alteration of organisms has led to
genetically modified organisms whereby a desirable gene is transferred from one body and
incorporated into the other to improve the qualities of the organism. The technology has been
applied in various fields such as medicine and agriculture. In agriculture, it has produced
genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops and animals resulting in the genetically modified
organism and agricultural products. The cultivation of such plants and raring of these animals
raises questions on their effect to the environment and consumption as well as public concerns
on whether they are overly beneficial or a threat to the safety of the. In this article the GM crops
and their products will be critiqued as presented in the review “Genetically modified foods:
safety, Risks and public concerns,” by Bawa and Anilakumar (2013, pp.1035-1046).
Summary of the article
Upon the discovery of the possibility to transfer genes between organisms by utilizing the
mechanisms that exist in nature, various GM crops have been produced. One of the earliest to be
created is the tobacco plant with virus resistance in the 1990s which was legally commercialized
in China. The introduction of these crops boosted tobacco farming for it ensured high crop yields
reducing cost of production and other losses. The African sweet potato production was once
significantly hampered by the hard to control and treat virus, but with the recombinant DNA
technology, it became possible. Herbicide and insect resistant crops such as canola, soybeans,
and cotton have also been produced using this technology. The nutritional values of less
nutritious crops such as rice have been improved by increasing iron and vitamins which are vital
in the fight against chronic malnutrition in Asia. Extreme climatic conditions such as drought
thwart agricultural production, however, with this technology a variety of drought-tolerant
transgenic plants have made agriculture in such areas feasible. Some fish that mature faster than
the standard rate to compete for the market favorably have also been produced. The transgenic
organisms even with advantages have not been legalized in most countries, and the market
reception of their products is less than expected. The feeds and food require GMO (Genetically
modified organisms) labeling one's screening detects the presence of GMOs. The labeling of