Risk and Benefits of Genetically Modified Plants - Essay Example

Potential Risk and Benefits of Genetically Modified Plants Today, various scientist of different fields worried as world’s statistics showed that our population will be doubled twenty years from now particularly in third world countries. Scientist gathered in various symposiums, conferences and consultations trying to address the issue that agricultural production should be doubled to prevent hunger and poverty of human race in the future. We all noticed that our current production is decreasing due to limited area for production and the degradation of soil fertility. Now a day, scientist is trying to resolve this problem by modifying plants altering its genetic make up through genetic engineering producing a desired trait they wanted to resolve world economic problem. They are now producing variety that are high yielding , resistant to drought, insect pest and disease resistant, saline and water logged resistant, weed and pesticide tolerant and even improve the its nutritional value. Coupled with these discoveries, there are some potential risks in genetic modification (GM) in plants that are harmful both human and mother earth. In Human, some GM products would cause allergies as a result of new unidentified proteins gene transferred into unrelated organisms (Campaign Web site) that may create new allergen that causes an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals (GMO Web site). Bernstein, et. al. (cited GMO Website) reported that allergic reactions in human occur when a normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response to proteins. There are reports that any allergic reaction to food can be serious, even life-threatening, and leads to anaphylactic shock (Campaign Website). The consumption of GMO product will increased cancer rates from Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). This hormone was injected into cows in order to increase milk production and also human insulin- Like Growth Factor (IGF-1). This IGF-1 was observed to trigger breast, prostate and colon cancer based on reported studies (Environment website). Examples: 1. Gene from milk proteins into vegetables results a transgenic carrot (Food & Environment website). 2. Gene’s protein from Brazil-nut into soybeans that triggered the allergenicity of some consumers as observed by the scientist at the University of Nebraska (Food & Environment Website). 3. Bacillus thuringiences (Bt) can be found in corn, potatoes and cotton caused allergic reaction to some people. It will provoke some kind of immunological allergic changes like asthma and other allergic reaction to human based on the study of Ohio crop pickers and handlers as reported in Science News, 1999 (cited Campaign Web site). Second, through genetic modification plants were able to develop Antibiotic Resistance. Plants become resistant to antibiotics when genes that confer antibiotic resistance are inserted into GMO plant as “selectable markers” taken up from foreign genes (FAO Website). It will reduce the efficacy of certain antibiotic to fight harmful microorganism that cause a disease. GM plants will produce certain enzymes that helps degrade the antibiotics. There are reports that antibiotic-resistance genes could spread to pathogens in the body that makes antibiotics less effective (Campaign web site).The bacteria can create antibiotic resistance through natural mutation (Turtle Mountain website). Example: 1. Antibiotic transgenic tomato that acts as antibiotic at the same time it will destroy beneficial antibiotic in stomach (Campaign web site). 2. (GM) Bt corn In addition, Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, (cited Campaign Web site) stressed that transgenic organism will enhance the potential for creating new viral and bacterial pathogens that are infectious to human being. In mice it will enters to the gut trying to infect the blood stream destroying the blood cell, spleen and liver cells. Example: Naked viral DNA. The second major side effects of genetically modified plants are environmental destruction. Like the Development of Herbicide and Pesticide Resistance. In genetic engineering, alterations of the genetic make up of plants could destabilize an organism, encouraging mutation called “Super weeds”. These could happen by inserting the gene into the plant or through cross pollination of GM plants with the wild species within the area producing new strain of weeds. Weeds are a plant that grows out of place and are not wanted by human, because it reduces crop yield and also serves as alternative host of insect pest. It has the capacity to survive even in an adverse weather condition (FAO website). It is known to be invasive and difficult to control that gradually disrupts the natural ecosystems (Campaign Website). Example: 1. Everglades that displaces natural flora; Johnson grass, multiflora and kudzu that become serious weeds in US (Food & Environment website). 2. Herbicide glyphosate (HT crops); GE oilseed rape in Europe spreading to several wild species; and canola, squash.,sunflower, and sorghum (Campaign website). Likewise, insect pest by nature has the capability to do some defense mechanism if there are abrupt genetic alterations or environmental change. Like weeds, they will go mutation making them more aggressive and stronger than the original trait they posses, they can be an “insects mutant” that are resistant to pesticides. Obviously, our farmer would use high powered application of pesticides in order to control the said insect pest. The pesticide residue will then be harmful to our environment that would contaminate our soil and water aquifer. (Campaign website). Second, our Biodiversity is at risk because present scientist is trying to develop a “Terminator Tree” designed to produced or excrete toxic substances in their leaves to kill leaf –eating insects like grasshoppers, worms, bees, birds, butterflies and others that ultimately reduces the population of the biodiversity. It is also designed to produce pesticide resistance causing some of our farmers to increased dosage of pesticides that would kill both harmful and beneficial insects (Campaign Website). Example: 1. GM tobacco & rice will tend to kill mice, deer & others small animals if they have eaten the debris left on field after harvesting. 2. Bacillus thuringiences (Bt) could harm caterpillars of monarch butterflies in the field when exposed to Bt corn pollen and even it threaten the beneficial insects indirectly, by entering in the food chain (Campaign website). Angelika Hilbeck and her team (cited by Ferber, 1999) reported that green lacewing caterpillars-a beneficial pest-eating predator-were more likely to die when they ate European corn borer caterpillars that had fed on Bt corn than when the borers had fed on non-Bt corn. A genetically modified plant has able to provide beneficial effects to our farmers and consumers to sustain life and prevent hunger of human race. But on the other side, transgenic plants are harmful both human and our environment based on studies, yet, scientist continue conducting research to find solution of world economic problem discovering certain technology that are harmless both human and environment. Whatsoever the end result, let us all wait and pray for their success. References: 1. Engineered Food Issues. n.d.The Campaign.: http://www.thecampaign.org/issues.php Accessed: April 26,2007 2. Environment. 2002. Genetically Modified Foods: The Secret Ingredients. : http//www.uwlax.edu/Murphy/environment/gmo/overview.html 3. Ferber, D. 1999. Risks and Benefits:  GM Crops in the Cross Hairs (Online). : http://asap.aces.uiuc.edu/organics/Hot_Topics/gmos/sci_main.htm Accessed: April 27,2007. 4. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). 2003. Harmful Effects of the Agent. :http://enhs.umn.edu/5103/gm/harmful.html Accessed: April 26,2007 5. Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). 2005. Turtle Mountain. : http://www.turtlemountain.com/health/gmo.html Accessed: April 26,2007 6. Risks of Genetic Engineering. Food and Environment. Last updated 1/19/07. http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/risks-of-genetic-engineering.html Accessed: April 24,2007 7. Weighing the GMO arguments: against. 2003. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation-UN :http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo8.htm Accessed: April 26,2007 Read More