Biology GM Seeds
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Transcript of Biology GM Seeds
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8/2/2019 Biology GM Seeds
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Ketan Singh
GM crops
1) What is a GM crop?GM crops are genetically modified crops that have been genetically enhanced using
modern biotechnology to carry one or more beneficial new traits.
2) What is the difference between GM and conventional plant breeding?Conventional plant breeding involves changing the genes of a plant so that a new and better
variety is developed. New varieties of plants are bred to suit different climate conditions,
improve taste or nutritional value, cope with disease or pests better, or to use water or
nutrients more efficiently for example.
Breeding using genetic modification (GM) also involves changing the genes of a plant
so that a new and better variety is developed. It is done for the same reasons as
conventional breeding. The key difference is that instead of randomly mixing genes, which
occurs as a result of a sexual cross, a specific gene, which is associated with a desirable trait,
is selected and inserted directly into the new plant variety.
3) What is a Pharma crops?Pharma crops are genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs. Ratherthan manufacturing such substances by chemical methods, the idea is to turn farmed
plants into mini-factories that can mass produce medicines and other chemicals
cheaply and much more efficiently. Trials of this technology have used conventional
farm plants, such as maize or soya.
4) The GM supporters argue that GM crops:-Help to feed the developing world and this is a social/ economic/ political effect.
This is because GM crops help increase the yield of crops for the farmers and thus
benefit food distribution and benefit the countrys economy.
-Are cost effective and this is social/ economic/ political effects. This is because they
become more commercially available and there is wider availability. The seeds also
have a resistance to disease and therefore farmers also save on insect resistance. GM
crops also lower the costs of production by reducing inputs of machinery, fuel, and
chemical pesticides. In addition, due to more effective pest control, crop yields are
often higher.
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-Could benefit human health and this is related to health. This is because GM crops
eradicate disease so it therefore does not create human health issues as they can
repel viruses and fungi and are less toxic.
-Could reduce pesticide and herbicide use and this is environmental, health, social/economic/ political effects. This is because they have improved traits and therefore
are resistant to viruses and fungi. They also increase the yield of crops and thus, do
not require herbicides and so reduce costs.
-Could help preserve natural habitats is environmental. This is because the efficiency
gains from GM crops will place less pressure on wild or natural habitats and thereby
help preserves biodiversity. In addition, Eutrophication is prevented as less fertiliser is
used.
The people against GM claim that:
-There will not be enough to feed the world which is health and
social/economic/political effects. This is because GM seeds are much more
expensive than conventional seeds and therefore means the poor cannot afford
them, and thus they cannot be fed. In addition the soybeans, corn, and cotton crops
that are mainly produced are not crops that will help feed most of the world.
-It could damage organic farmers which are social/ economical/ political effects. This
is because organic farmers still spray the bt toxin on the plants whereas GM already
have the bt gene encoded in the plant and therefore does not require the toxin.
Therefore less people buy the organic produce and buy more of the GM produce.
-It could increase herbicide and pesticide use which is environmental, health, social/
economic/ political effects. This is because even though GM plants do use fewer
chemicals in the first few years, afterwards they use considerably more chemicals, as
was reported in the U.S. In addition with bt corn, it required more pesticide as most
pesticides are directed at other corn pests.
-It could reduce biodiversity which is environmental. It can do this because it is
resistant to viruses, fungi and contains toxins which therefore mean the natural
environment affected as the insects and bacterium lose their food source which
results in a lesser population and thus, affects the consumers like birds and so on.
-It mainly benefits big biotech companies which are social/economical/ political
effects. This is because they claim most of the profit for the GM seeds and these
companies are also concentrating their efforts in high-volume crops, such as
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soybeans, corn, and cotton, and not in crops that might help feed the billions of
people who live in poor countries.
-It raises ethical conflicts over the control of food production which is social/
economical/ political effects. Examples of these are;
The possible monopolisation of the world food market by large multinational companiesthat control the distribution of GM seeds.
Using genes from animals in plant foods may pose ethical, philosophical or religiousproblems. For example, eating traces of genetic material from pork could be a problem for
certain religious or cultural groups.
Animal welfare could be adversely affected. For example, cows given more potent GMgrowth hormones could suffer from health problems related to growth or metabolism.
New GM organisms could be patented so that 'life' itself could become commercial propertythrough patenting.