Genetically Modified Organisms Case

GMOs are genetically modified organisms that contain altered genes to provide extra benefits such as health advantage or pest resilience in crop products. GMOs carry genes from different species. A bacterium or virus is used to infect animal or plant cells to insert desired genes inside the plant or animal's genome by using a special gene gun. The process also involves restriction enzyme by cutting and binding certain parts of desired gene into a bacterium's plasmid, which can be transferred to plants or animals.

Worldwide food crisis is becoming a major issue to many countries in the future. Due to increasing world population in many developing nations in Africa and Asia, food supply is becoming scarce in these regions. However due to biotechnology, GMO products is becoming a solution to the food crisis and proposed from many governments. Genetic modification of crops will enable larger crop yield, soil fertility, and molecular farming of new bio products: biofuels, bio plastics, and biodiesel. GMO will enable engineering and production of food products in every part of the world even if certain parts of land is unusable.

GMOs give positive health benefits as well as high quality nutritious plant or crop yields and increased crop yield. Impressive gains in maize(crop) production that increased fourfold in Central and West Africa have been encountered many farmers. In addition GMO crops contain edible vaccines against for protection against human diseases such as Hepatitis B. GMO crops even have high nutrition value that potentially nourishes every person of every type of vitamins and minerals. By consuming high quality food, people become more resistant to diseases and life expectancy rises for everyone.

Economic advantage can be gained from GMOs as well from agriculture and social aspects. GMO crops will gain pest resiliance from inserting special type of gene called bacillus thuringiensis that produces lethal crystal proteins to insects. From this effect, less pesticides and herbicides will be needed to protect crops from invasive species. Costly fertilizers and herbicides can be replaced by GMOs to save about $ 150 million dollars annually in agriculture sector in United States. Approximately a reduction in $20 million dollars on vaccine development would occur as GMO products are produced with the vaccine.