A genetically modified organism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A genetically modified organism - Research Paper Example Thus, in this paper I am going to examine the process of GMO production and storage in order to assess the risks connected with their consumption. Genetically modified organisms are organisms (bacteria, viruses, plants, animals) which genetics was changed in order for acquiring new functions. As genes are responsible for carrying the information in the sequences and structures of DNA, they define special characteristics of the organisms. Advances of biotechnology now permit to extract, change, and add various genes to the organisms. It is even possible to transfer genes between non-related organisms. Most often scientists add some genes to plants in order to make them stable to certain viruses (GMOs, 2010). Genetically modified organisms are used in medicine, agriculture, biology, textile production. Usually when people start speaking about genetically modified organisms they mean genetically modified crops which have become a part of everyday life of the consumers in the world. Tobacco was the first plant which received additional genes to resist herbicides. Later it was modified to be capable to resist insects and the ripening qualities of the crops were also changed. In 1995 Food and Drug Administration approved commercial usage of GM potato, corn, soya, and tomato, and the variety of plants with additional genes increase significantly (Swanson, 2013). People usually underestimate the quantity of GM crops that they consume. However, by the end of 2012 more than 144 kinds of plants received access to the market in the United States of America. So an impressive part of the crops consumed by Americans in the following years were genetically modified: according to the statistics of USDA 93% of all soy, 88 % of all corn, and 94% of cotton (Swanson, 2013). Today such products as tomatoes and cantaloupes with advanced ripening characteristics, beets and soybeans with improved herbicides