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“Genetically modified organism” or how you most likely have heard them be abbreviated as, GMO’s. it is something most have heard and even read about but still have some misconstrued thought about them. One of which is how people think of only crops when the name GMO’s is mentioned, while in fact is that just as it is present in the name genetically modified “organism” GMO’s encompass all sort of plants, animals, and microorganisms as the genetic make-up in all those can be modified. Another fact about GMO’s is that it is not a new procedure that requires the use of technology as humans have been capable of various techniques in a way to genetically modify an organism for a long time. In fact, that is why we have many breeds of dogs in addition to the research of selective cross breeding Mendel performed on his peas.
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Alas adding traditional GMO’s and all the organism to the equation it is better to able to distinguish what would most consider GMO’s to be nowadays and why GMO’s have come to be so closely tied to crop. Beginning with what would be considered as a GMO’s today is organism whose trait have been taken from another organism and added to our very specifically chosen for organism to have gain that trait or enhanced with the use of technology, eliminating trial-and-error, a more fitting term would be genetically engineered organism or transgenic organism. Unlike the traditional GMO’s that are picked and hoped to be passed to the next generation with no guarantee of it being carried. As for the reason why, crop is at the forefront of everyone’s mind when discussing GMO’s is due to crops being the one’s that have been successfully experimented on the most as well as the longest.
As with popularity of GMO’s ever rising to high levels also comes the possibilities that many will disagree with it and GMO’s are no exception with the topic being a hot zone for arguing. With many demanding that they be heavily restricted on the practice or even completely stopped claiming that the use of them will have vast repercussions on both our health and well-being, to the environment and it’s living creatures that would be affected by GMO’s. While the other side of the argument sees them with the upmost regard, that like previously mentioned it has helped humanity since it started in the late 19th century, and the concept of genetic engineering has been around for many centuries prior to us tempering with organism and their genetic make-up to a specific level. Those who are also for the existence and use of GMO’s state how the possibilities with them could change the world and humanity by helping fight climate change and poverty.
