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Rachel Lane
Mrs. Stemen
Biotech
2 February 2015
Are GMOs as good as they seem?
Genetically modified foods are harmful in several ways. They can cause harm not only
to humans, but to other plants and animals as well. The growing of the plants and the pollination
of the plants is what I believe can be the most harmful. The people should be more aware of what
their food contains and how these foods can affect their families.
Sooner or later our foods will most likely be genetically modified in some way. Here are
some examples of traits the crop can be given; enhancing the crops performance in producing
more, giving the crop the ability to repel pests and other plants that cause harm, or making it so
the crop can last through harsher conditions. Scientists can do all of this by changing the genes in
a plant cell, or any cell that may need to be improved. This process is done in, more or less, four
steps. First, scientists find the trait that they want to give the plant. Next, they get the gene for the
new trait and they insert the new trait into the plant DNA. Then, the now new plant seed is put
into a growth chamber to produce the new seeds. The growth chamber is basically a Greenhouse
and the modified seed can be monitored. Finally, the seeds taken from the new plants can be sent
out to buying people who want these crops.
Genetically modified foods are looked at as harmless, but what people dont realize is
that these new plants, once planted, can kill off other competing plants or other organisms which;
in turn, means less biodiversity. Less biodiversity can cause an ecosystem to have less
productivity. (Murnaghan 2) Herbicide uses has increased by three times as much in 2013. There

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are two types of modified plants to kill off weeds and insects. Tolerate herbicide, which kills
weeds and other harming plants, but I can also lead to killing the other competing plants. Toxic
to pests, has no specific name, but it does what it states. It kills off insects that eat the plant. With
the use of herbicides, if humans or animals consume these, it can cause harm to major organs in
our bodies. Testing on animals has found traces of Immune Dysregulation. Immune
Dysregulation is an altered liver function and causes changes to the spleen, pancreas, and kidney.
The cons to the genetically modified foods are over looked because the people are forced
to focus on the pros. There is a possibility of new allergy triggers to the new plants. During
pollination, the pollen can float around into farmers fields. This can cause the fields to be
planted with this unwanted crop and this can lead to trouble in the future with the current crop.
Other organisms can be killed off from the GMO crops, affecting the biodiversity extremely.
New diseases can be caught from being passed around from the viruses and bacteria used to
modify the food. These things should be labeled or at least be some part of the nutrition facts.
Granted, after a while there will be new meds made to kill off the new viruses, but that will
slowly work its way into the system.
In conclusion, genetically modified foods can be more harmful then what they are
presented as. People need to be aware of what they are eating and using.

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Works Cited
Clancy, Suzanne. "DNA Transcription." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 06
Feb. 2015
Murnaghan, Ian. "Fact Sheet: Pros vs Cons." Fact Sheet: Pros vs Cons. N.p., 18 Dec. 2014. Web.
06 Feb. 2015
Institute for Responsible Technology." The GE Process. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.