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Paper Example on Genetically Modified Plants and Human Health

2021-08-27
7 pages
1780 words
Categories: 
University/College: 
Middlebury College
Type of paper: 
Annotated bibliography
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Journal Statement: The essay talks about genetically engineered food direct impact on human health through enhancing them nutrition wise and recombinant medicine production as well as public opinion on the matter.

Genetically Modified plants are those that got genetically engineered through recombinant DNA technology (Drake et al. 2008). The process involves introducing a new gene or modification of endogenous genes. These genes can give the plant the desired traits. Genetically modified food production is gaining a lot of attention from the media. Contrastingly, the general population is not fully aware of the harmful effects of the GMO foods to their health as well as to the environment. Although the GMO plants can impact human being negatively, its production technology can be applied in adding nutrition value of the plants, production capability, medicines and biofuels (Drake et al. 2008).

This technology can also aid enhancing plants survival during the extreme environmental and weather conditions that normally affects the plant adversely. Due to health concerns, the many governments strictly control genetically modification development and products. In the United States, the GMO products pass through a lot of assessments before they appear in the market to ensure they meet safety and health regulations.

For over a decade now, people have been taking genetically modified food but with no major reported effects. That does not imply that this type of food lacks adverse effects. Notable level DNA or RNA get in the body because all consumable foods contain them. Hence, the protein produced by the GM plants may prove harmful (Drake at al. 2008). The newly introduced gene may carry allergenic properties to the new plants. The protein from the transgenic plant can eventually be toxic (Drake et al 2008).

Further, there exist fears that the use of plants for recombinant pharmaceutical could at one time penetrate the human being food cycle through unregulated dispersal of the GMO seeds or hybridization of consumable plants after GMO pollen grain escapes (Drake at al. 2008). There exist significant opposition to GMO food production. There exist beliefs that opposition is greater in Europe than in the United States where GMO produced food are usual diet (Drake et al. 2008). Hence, GMO food production is very important to the developing world as well as the rest of the world but has potential to harm them too.

GMOs, Herbicides and Public Health. N Engl J Med

Article statement: The article talks about the effect of GMO, herbicides to human beings health as well offering the recommendation for GM regulations.

Most people worry about the application of biotechnology on human cells but bother little if the same is applied to consumable plants. This use of technology in plants increased aggressively over the years. Most of the physicians rarely recommend the intake of transgenic foods. Most of the soybeans and corns in the United States are transgenic. Some of the recent controversial development increased the questionability of the Genetic modification.

Firstly, there developed fear over the increased use of herbicide on genetically modified plants (Benbrook & Landrigan 2015). What worse the trend is expected to increase over the years and will be the highest in years. Secondly, International Agency for Research on Cancer marked two herbicides (phosphates and 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) largely used on transgenic crops as possibly carcinogenic (Benbrook & Landrigan 2015).

Review done on GM foods effects claimed that the transgenic plans pose no danger to human yet the review concentrated more on the gene element or properties. The resistance to herbicide is the primary trait the biotech industries applied on plants. The crops stay unharmed after being sprayed with the herbicide. This trait led to the over-dependent on herbicides. As a result, there was an increase in drought-resistant weeds in 36 states in America (Benbrook & Landrigan 2015). Currently, the weeds are treated with multiple mixtures of herbicides.

The Environmental Protection Agency accepted the use of Enlist Duo (herbicide combination of glyphosate and 2, 4 dichlorophenoxyacetic). The agency made the decision with little considerations of glyphosate effect on Monarch butterfly and its link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma in human beings (Benbrook & Landrigan 2015). Finally, Benbrook and Landrigan (2015) suggested that the United States should encourage labeling of GM food products, assess their toxicology as well as the toxicology of the herbicide applied to transgenic plants.

Long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant Genetically Modified Maize. Food and Chemical Toxicology

Article statement: The study tests the long-term impacts of GN MK603 maize from Monsanto, which is developed to pull through a collection of herbicide spray.

The study involved feeding some rats with the genetically modified maize and observing them for 2 years. The feeding contained 11% of the diet (seralini et al. 2012). In the female category, the treated females died two to three times more times than the controlled ones. The notable change occurred in 3 groups of males. The total data depended on sex and hormones and the pathological details were proportional.

The females grew a huge mammary growth more often before controls. Further, the female pituitary gland of the rats developed a disability. On the other side, the treated males developed 2.5 to 5.5times increased necrosis and liver blockage (Seralini et al. 2012). The result got confirmed through transmission electron microscopy and optic. The result got outlined through the GMOs transgene and its metabolic effects (Sesarralini et al. 2012).

The result gave a number of conclusions. To begin with, the occurred the presence of kidney and liver poisoning g with the 90 days of the test (Seralini et al. 2012). The feeding of the glyphosate tolerant maize resulted to the kidney and liver function failure immature death more so in males. Again, there occurred a sudden increase in mammary tumor more so in roundup females as well as premature deaths caused by pituitary malfunction and mammary growths (Seralini et al. 2012).

The outcome suggests that notable biochemical disruptions and organs failure provided proved that the GMO impacts on the two sexes. Hence, the food products produced through application of transgenic processes pose a potential danger to the human being. Hence, instead of the poor concentrating on developing their lives, they will need to search for finances to take care of health problems resulting from such food products.

Genetically Modified Foods: Safety, Risks and Healthy Concern- a review. J Food Sci Technol.

Article statement: The article analyses the health risk concerns related to the use of Genetically Engineered foods.

Today, the use of the genetically modified foods is the growing trend. Crops grown through this method develop resistance to drought, diseases, increase crop yield and can be added the nutrition values. The profits of the transgenic plants get praises from many experts but none of them although there exist claims the crops can impact human beings adversely.

Interference of the natural engineered crop can bring undesired consequences. According to Anirakumal & Baswa (2013), the genetically edited foods can bring antibiotic-resistant illnesses. Further, there are few evidential studies of the long-term impact of the transgenic food. The lack of labeling by the companies which pack genetically engineered food raises a lot of questions stated Anirakumal & Baswa (2013). If the food is safe what is the reason behind not identifying genetically modified products. This practice also violates the rights of their clients. Again, Studies done on feeding different groups of cows with GM plants and non-GM plants revealed a significant difference. There occurred a notable difference in the milk-producing cows that fed on GE foods and those that fed on nongenetically modified foods (Anirakumal & Baswa (2013).

According to Anirakumal & Baswa (2013), the recombinant technology increases the number of plants resistant to herbicides and pesticides. This outcome, in turn, can bring about the evolution of resistant insects. These environmental effects can impact humans when they feed on the over-sprayed plants. Most of the research on the effect of GM plants herbicides studies get support from the herbicide industries. Furthermore, exists concerns about the genetic, allergen and toxicity effects to the human body (Anirakumal & Baswa 2013).

Ten Scientific Studies Prove that Genetically Modified Food Can Be Harmful To Human Health. https://www.globalresearch.ca/ten-scientific-studies-proving-gmos-can-be-harmful-to-human-health/5377054

Article statement: The article offers information on the various studies that give evidence about the risk of using transgenic food products to human beings.

Some countries like Russia have decided to ban the genetically edited foods totally. Since genetically engineered foods came into being over two decades ago, there exists no possible attempt by the governments to test the large sample of human beings on the impacts of the product. Therefore, it is improbable to collect a huge data over a very long time.

Multiple research evidence suggests safety uncertainty of the engineered food product. When people take food with such food item, they become part of huge experiment process (Walia 2014). A research unique research from Canada suggested found traces of pesticides associated with the genetically engineered plants in the blood of fetal, maternal and the non-pregnant ladies. The study also found out the weakness of the fetus to get attacked by the chemicals originating from genetically modified products (Walia 2014).

Walia (2014) outlines the long-term study of rats fed with modified that suggested the genetically modified plants can cause tumors. The study got published in a well-known journal which gives tough regulations to the scientist who want to publish their studies. The case served as a big blow to the genetic engineering companies. Walia (2014) stated that the GM technology does not solve the issue of low yield rather it aggravates excess usage of pesticides and herbicides. Therefore, it can neither solve the issue of poverty. People need finances in order to keep on buying this herbicide.

Another study in the United States suggested that glyphosate (herbicide commonly applied to GM plants) can trigger the development of human breast cancer cells (Walia 2014). The effects occur through estrogen receptor. Several previous studies proved that glyphosate interferes with endocrine disruptors which can cause tumor growth (Walai 2014). The study implied that the use of soybean contaminated by genisein and glyphosates for diet supplement can result in a breast cancer because of their potential to add estrogen in the body. Hence, this method of producing food proved is a health risk to the people of Canada.

Reaction on Genetically Modified Organisms: Canada. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/canada.phpArticle statement; the article outlines regulation and policies on the production, release and marketing the Genetically Engineered products as well as the weaknesses of the stated policies.

Canada is one of the largest producers of Genetically Modified foods. In fact, it is the third largest producer of the transgenic foods (Ahmad 2014). Canadian government established rules on genetically modified food. The regulations mainly focus on reviewing the product and not on the procedure of producing it (Ahmad 2014). Public opinion indicates that there exists concern in the general population. Health...

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