We explain what genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are, their advantages, disadvantages and what they are used for.
What are GMOs?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are those microorganisms , plants or animals whose hereditary material (DNA) is manipulated through biotechnology techniques that are alien to natural methods of multiplication or combination.
Through genetic modification it is possible, for example, to alter the expression of a gene or to transfer it to another organism (of the same or a different species) .
Biotechnology techniques applied to genetically modified organisms are also called “modern biotechnology”, “genetic technology”, “ DNA technology ” or “genetic engineering”. They are used, to a greater extent, in the food industry ( agriculture and livestock ) and in medicine (for vaccines or to reverse hereditary diseases).
See also: Nanotechnology
Advantages and Disadvantages of GMOs
Among the main advantages of genetically modified organisms are:
- Greater resistance to harmful agents. Genetically modified seeds provide crops capable of withstanding diseases caused by insects or viruses, and capable of tolerating herbicides and pesticides (for example, RR soybeans are resistant to a highly toxic herbicide, made with glyphosate).
- Improvements in composition and nutritionalvalue . Through the inclusion of vitamins , the elimination of allergens and the modification of the protein content , products such as corn, rice, tomatoes, soybeans, potatoes, etc. are obtained. with an improved composition.
- Greater tolerance to droughts and floods. Genetically modified crops are resistant to numerous environmental factors, so compared totraditional crops, they offer advantages to producers by reducing the risk of crop loss.
Among the main disadvantages of genetically modified organisms are:
- The intensive use of soils. The lands are harmed, mainly due to two issues: the amount of toxic residues resulting from herbicides and pesticides ( which are sprayed on genetically modified crops) and the continuous planting that does not allow the land to rest to recover its organic matter and humidity (technique called “fallow”).
- Genetic contamination. The introduction of genetically modified plants can harm the environmentand affect biodiversity . For example, a plant can become a pest if it grows outside the original site where it was harvested or if it transfers its modified genes to other crops (in the United States, for example, traces of a type of corn that had only been approved for feeding farm animals ).
- Health problems. In 1992, scientists from the United States governmentagency “Food and Drug Administration”, responsible for regulating food, medicines, cosmetics , among others, warned that genetically modified foods could cause unpredictable and difficult-to-detect side effects, such as allergies. , toxins in the body, new diseases and nutritional problems.
- The patented seeds. Genetically modified seeds have intellectual property rights from the multinational corporations that created them. These intellectual property rights establish that farmers cannot keep these seeds for future harvests, causing producers to buy new seeds and their corresponding agrochemicals each year (with the possibility of a higher cost compared to traditional seeds ) .
- Adverse effects still unknown. Since genetic manipulation in food was approved for commercialization in 1994, not enough time has yet elapsed to accurately determine the consequences on health and the environmentof the different products whose genes have been modified.
Applications of genetically modified organisms
Genetically modified crops are more resistant.
Genetically modified organisms are applied in different areas and among the main ones are:
- The agro-livestock industry. Through the genetic manipulation of seeds, harvests can be optimized in favor of the consumer industry, both for feeding farm animals and for human consumption .
- Through the manufacture of pharmaceutical inputs, access to treatments for certain diseases was facilitated. For example, people who have diabetes can take human insulin that comes from genetically engineered human genes.
- The food industry. Through genetic modifications in animals, biotechnological processes in food production are optimized. For example, through the modification of the components, greater production can be achieved in less time. Genetic modifications are also used to combat diseases in animals (consequent to mass production in feedlots or feedlot,name in English and in common use).
transgenic organisms
Transgenic organisms are those that have been introduced with a piece of DNA that comes from another organism that is not sexually compatible . For example, a transgenic corn variety contains genes from a bacterium in order to make its crop more resistant.
Although it is very common to use both terms as synonyms, transgenic organisms are a variant of GMO, but not all GMOs are made using the “transgenesis” technique .
Another variant of GMO is the “cisgenesis” technique , which consists of modifying the DNA of an organism with the gene that comes from another, but sexually compatible. It is used, for example, in the reproduction of plants of different species.