Even though genetically modified crops GM have many importan

Even though genetically modified crops (GM) have many important improvements compared to regular crops, why is there still controversy? What is the potential danger that comes with GM crops

Solution

GMOs are a broad group of plants that are engineered for a wide variety of applications ranging from agricultural production to scientific research. Most of the concern surrounding GMOs relates to their potential for negative effects on the environment and human health. GMOs that could directly effect human health are primarily products that can enter the human food supply. All genetically modified foods that have approved are considered by the givernment to be as safe as their traditional counterparts.

The potential dangers that come with GM crops include

1. Food allergy: Allergic reactions in human occur when a normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response.

2. Increased toxicity: Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans and most of the plants that humans consume produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not produce any adverse health effects. There is concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce toxins at higher levels that could be dangerous to humans.

3. Antibiotic resistance: By attaching the desired gene to an antibiotic resistance gene the new GM plant can be tested by growing it in a solution containing a corresponding antibiotic. There is a concern that bacteria living in the guts of humans and animals could pick up an antibiotic resistance from a GM plant before the DNA becomes completely digested.

4. Decreased nutritional value: GM plant could theoretically have lower nutritional quality than its traditional ones by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans.