GMO is an acronym used in place of genetically modified organism. A genetically modified organism is defined as any organism that receives DNA from another organism, possibly a different species of organisms. GMO foods have been the source of much debate. Some believe that these foods have real benefits; others believe they have detrimental effects.
GMO foods are created via genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is defined as “The alteration of an organism’s genotype.” Basically what happens is that a gene from bacteria that would be beneficial to an organism is …show more content…
They offer many manufacturer benefits, including high crop yield, less pesticides and chemicals, foods with better nutritional value, foods with much longer shelf life, and more efficiency in food production. GMO foods are easily marketable, and can have huge business benefits. However, consumers are concerned with the effects they have. One of the main concerns is that the DNA transferred to the GMO’s can be transferred to bacteria that live inside humans, and eventually be transferred to the human genotype. This could leave harmful genes in humans that could have significant adverse effects. Some argue that GMO genes are destroyed in the process of digestion, however, studies performed in the UK, Norway, and China have shown GMO DNA surviving digestion and can enter the human blood stream. This is the main concern people have with GMO’s, that the genes they ingest may be harmful. However, other studies show that it is not uncommon for DNA to enter human bloodstreams via the food we eat, and that this is not harmful, and that there are large variances in how much DNA enters the human bloodstream. All in all, the results show that GMO foods are not detrimental in that