Transgenic foods are also known as genetically modified foods. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise than mutagenesis, where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding; plant breeding, and animal breeding, and somaclonal variation.
Genetically modified foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic plant: soy bean, corn, canola, cotton and seed oil. Animal products have also been developed, although as of July 2010 none are currently on the market.
Many proponents of genetically engineered crops claim they lower pesticide usage and have brought higher yields and profitability to many farmers, including those in developing nations.
Future envisaged applications of genetic modified organisms are diverse and include drugs in food, apples, pears, generally fruits that and product that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as hepatitis.
Other advantages about genetically modified food are:
The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways:
1- 1- Pest resistance: Crop losses from insect pests can be important, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Genetic modified aliments can help to eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market.
2- Herbicide tolerance: same of before.
3- 2- Disease resistance: There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plants with genetically engineered could be resistance to diseases.
4- 3- Cold tolerance: New crops in region that before couldn´t be produced.
4- Efficient photosynthetic metabolism: Plant more efficient in convert the light energy into chemical energy thus they produce more.
5-
Hi Javier, although it's true all the benefits that transgenic foods presents, you must consider the negative aspects also, such as: eventual reactions for our health, like allergies, and the loss of genetical biodiversity in plants. See you!
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