Genetically Modified Organisms: Article Analysis

What are GMO 's? The world is constantly changing. Humans have been modifying the world to meet their needs for thousands of years. Recent technological developments have allowed these changes to take place at a much more rapid pace. Man is now able to view and analyze the genetic makeup of organisms. With this ability, scientists can change the genes of an organism by transferring genes from another organism, modifying the organism 's traits to meet needs. Much debate exists on whether or not genetically modified organisms are harmful to humans and the environment. Genetic modification dates back to almost 11,000 years ago. As stated in the article, Deconstructing 'genetically modified organisms ': academic discourse on 'GMOs ' and its effect on popular understandings of food and agriculture, it all started when the "early farmers...learned to separate desirable crop varieties from feral plants in order to prevent the mingling of undesirable varieties with those selected for growing" (Nelson 23). These farmers were trying to produce crops with the most desirable traits. Then in the late 1800 's Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel introduced a more scientific perception of genetically modifying plants. …show more content…
On the negative side of the debate, there have been many studies attempting to prove that GMOs are harmful to people. In the article, Should You Worry About GMOs?, it is stated that "GMO critics cite fears that the proteins in such foods could cause new allergies or adverse effects on the immune system of humans" (Tufts 5). However, humans have been consuming genetically engineered food for over fifteen years, and no harm to people has been shown. Not all GMO critics ' arguments are based on science. According to Tufts University, "The gene added to make GMO corn insect-resistant, in fact, comes from the same bacterium organic growers use as a natural insecticide" (Tufts