New technological advances occur every day. These advances have begun to spill into most everything in modern society, such as agriculture, consumer health, the environment, food production, medicine, and much more. One of these advances is genetic engineering and the organisms that scientists genetically engineer called genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Today, there are many controversies over GMOs and whether or not they are good for society due to the process and possible repercussions of altering nature. genetically modified organisms are beneficial to the environment, farmers, and to the consumer’s health and therefore have a positive impact on society as a whole. Genetically modified organisms are a hot topic; however, few know
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Some argue that GMOs are not worth the slightly higher prices for farmers, like George Naylor in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Pollan says that he, “doesn’t think it’s worth the extra twenty five dollars a bag (in technology fees) they cost” (Pollan 36). However, Scientific American published an article on GMOs that covered a study done over how genetically modified crops help farmers. The article stated, “recently published data from a seven-year study of Indian farmers shows that those growing a genetically modified crop increased their yield per acre by 24 percent and boosted profits by 50 percent” (“Fight”). Genetically modified crops are specifically made to benefit the environment and use each square foot to its optimal capacity. Michael Pollan writes that, “the standard F-1 hybrids Naylor plants are technological marvels, capable of coaxing 180 bushels of corn from an acre of Iowa soil” (Pollan 36). This helps fund farmers and also provides for the large population consuming farmed goods. As stated in the article, “Scientist Says GMOs Are Safe, as House Takes Up Food Labeling Act”, “‘we 're at about 7 billion people...the only way we 're going to continue to feed people, is to raise more food on the same fields’” (Knutson). Many GMOs are made specifically to be grown in close-quarters. This provides the mass amount of food needed for today’s population and also helps farmers get as …show more content…
In the article, “Gmos: What Are They?”, it is noted that one example of GMOs in medicine is, “human gene therapy. Viruses are genetically modified to implant genes that can alleviate diseases and treat genetic disorders” (Goldbas). These GMOs can potentially save the lives of the people who receive the human gene therapy. They can be protected from targeted diseases like certain cancers. Another, more specific, example of genetically modified organisms in medicine is the use of genetically engineered tobacco plants for the treatment of diseases such as Ebola. As described by Lydia Chain, a writer for SienceLine, scientists attempted to alter tobacco plants in order to form a possible cure for Ebola. They injected the plants with strands of the Ebola virus in order to collect the antibodies that the plants produced. These antibodies were then injected into people to help combat the Ebola virus (Chain). Though this technology is not fully developed, it portrays just how far science has come and how far it can go in the near future. Genetically modified organisms that are incorporated into medicines work to improve the health of and prevent diseases in consumers
Some argue that GMOs are not worth the slightly higher prices for farmers, like George Naylor in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Pollan says that he, “doesn’t think it’s worth the extra twenty five dollars a bag (in technology fees) they cost” (Pollan 36). However, Scientific American published an article on GMOs that covered a study done over how genetically modified crops help farmers. The article stated, “recently published data from a seven-year study of Indian farmers shows that those growing a genetically modified crop increased their yield per acre by 24 percent and boosted profits by 50 percent” (“Fight”). Genetically modified crops are specifically made to benefit the environment and use each square foot to its optimal capacity. Michael Pollan writes that, “the standard F-1 hybrids Naylor plants are technological marvels, capable of coaxing 180 bushels of corn from an acre of Iowa soil” (Pollan 36). This helps fund farmers and also provides for the large population consuming farmed goods. As stated in the article, “Scientist Says GMOs Are Safe, as House Takes Up Food Labeling Act”, “‘we 're at about 7 billion people...the only way we 're going to continue to feed people, is to raise more food on the same fields’” (Knutson). Many GMOs are made specifically to be grown in close-quarters. This provides the mass amount of food needed for today’s population and also helps farmers get as …show more content…
In the article, “Gmos: What Are They?”, it is noted that one example of GMOs in medicine is, “human gene therapy. Viruses are genetically modified to implant genes that can alleviate diseases and treat genetic disorders” (Goldbas). These GMOs can potentially save the lives of the people who receive the human gene therapy. They can be protected from targeted diseases like certain cancers. Another, more specific, example of genetically modified organisms in medicine is the use of genetically engineered tobacco plants for the treatment of diseases such as Ebola. As described by Lydia Chain, a writer for SienceLine, scientists attempted to alter tobacco plants in order to form a possible cure for Ebola. They injected the plants with strands of the Ebola virus in order to collect the antibodies that the plants produced. These antibodies were then injected into people to help combat the Ebola virus (Chain). Though this technology is not fully developed, it portrays just how far science has come and how far it can go in the near future. Genetically modified organisms that are incorporated into medicines work to improve the health of and prevent diseases in consumers