Bio Blog Thingy

GMOs are everywhere now. GMO vegetables, GMO fruits, even GMO farm animals. People consume GMOs on a daily basis, but what are they really?

A GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism. GMOs are created by altering the DNA of a certain organism in order to give it more desirable traits, such as being able to resist insects. The first GMO product that was commercially sold and created was corn, in 1922. Since then, our knowledge of how to create GMOs has increased, and has been used on things like tomatoes, papaya, alfalfa sprouts, sugar beets, and even salmon. GMOs can also be used to make organisms visually appealing and fun, such as a certain GMO pineapple, which is pink instead of yellow.

How are GMOs Made?

GMOs are created by taking a desired gene from one organism and putting it into another one through genetic engineering. If a certain trait is desired, such as being pink, scientists can take certain genes that will make an organism pink and put it into another one. Pink pineapples are genetically modified, and contain certain genes from tobacco and tangerines. Neither tangerines nor tobacco are pink, but both contain genes that would make a pineapple pink. Genes can be taken from a plant to an animal or an animal to plant as well, which presents another question:

Are animal-plant GMOS vegetarian?

This is a bit of a counterintuitive question, seeing as how there are no commercially sold plant foods with animal genes in them, so this subheading is only here for the sake of discussion. In 1991, a genetically modified tomato that had flounder DNA in it was created by the DNA Plant Technology of Oakland, California. The gene inserted was an “anti-freeze” gene that helps flounder survive cold waters. The hope was that the gene would make the tomato more resistant to cold, but unfortunately the tomato did not work and never made it to the market. Though it was never commercially sold, it is an interesting concept that raises questions.

So if the tomato was commercially sold, would it be something vegetarians would want to eat? Scientifically speaking, a tomato with flounder DNA would still be considered vegetarian. DNA itself does not significantly change between animals and plants, as they share a similar DNA structure and genetic code. They are both within the domain Eukarotya, which means they share common ancestors, even if they are significantly different today. DNA is comprised of the same chemical compounds – Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine – in animals, plants, humans, etc., the only difference being in their arrangement. Because of this, a tomato or any other plant with animal DNA would still technically be considered vegetarian. This being said, vegetarianism is a varied spectrum, with some people being more strict about what they eat than others. In the end, a vegetarian choosing whether or not to eat a plant-animal GMO fits within their diet is a personal decision. Of course, this is all hypothetical because there are no plant GMOs with animal DNA being sold.

Are GMOs Safe?

A common question when it comes to GMO is if they are safe to consume. In a word: yes. GMOs are generally considered safe to eat, and the FDA has placed many regulations on the production and sale of GMO foods. The FDA, USDA, and EPA are all responsible for making sure that GMO foods are safe. These agencies look at how the GMO product affects the environment, make sure that food safety standards are being followed, and implement certain regulations. GMO foods are as safe as their non-GMO counterparts, which means that if you have an allergy to a certain food, the GMO version of that food is likely to give you the same reaction.

Conclusion

Genetic engineering is an exciting and rapidly advancing field in biology. It has the potential to transform industries like medicine and agriculture. As our understanding of GMOs and genetic modification grows, so do the possibilities it brings. Using GMOs can help us improve crops, develop life-saving treatments, and increase food security. While the future of gene modification offers endless possibilities, it’s important that make sure that we are using it for the greater good.