Free Essay Sample on Genetically Modified Organism

Introduction

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Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) technology is a slow poison to the living creatures due to the adverse health effects that they have on the users of foods that are produced through the technology. According to Uzogara (2000), GMOs are those organisms whose genetic materials are altered through the application of a particular type of technology about genes. The resultant products do not therefore; occur through the natural recombination or mating. The formation of GMOs arises out of the insertion of not less than two DNA sequences that arise from varying species. This method and technique has been deployed in the areas of science, agricultural industry, and medicine, among others. Specifically, according to Milavec et al. (2014), it has been applied on varying species of plants and animals as well as microorganisms.

There are huge profits amounting to billions of dollars that arise from the sale of GM proceeds, which consists of seeds and crops. As such, the technology is one of those methods that has been instrumental in the growth of the economy. However, despite those benefits, the technology of GMO has elicited much controversy. In this regard, several critics who range from the consumers and several health groups to the food advocacy groups have raised concerns over the alteration that the technology makes on the nutritious quality of foods, the toxity that comes about, environmental pollution, and the apparent risk to the health of the users. Therefore, this paper seeks to evaluate whether the use of GMO technology is a huge progress for the different users such as the farmers or a poison to the living creatures due to the adverse health and environmental effects that the technology occasions.

Statement of the Research Questions

The proposed research paper will seek to evaluate whether the use of GMO in the various areas of science, and mostly agriculture is a progress for the farmers and scientists or a poison to the living creatures who have to put up with the effects. Specifically, the research will seek to answer the following questions

What impact does the use of GMOs has on the health of the users and the environment that they live in?

Is the use of GMOs a huge progress or a slow poison for all living creatures?

How do the benefits of using GMOs compare with the adverse effects?

Background

The application of GMO technology has been in the market for quite some time. Since the inception of the technology, it has been widely used for mass production of food and has indeed, benefitted the users (Uzogara, 2000). However, there has been quite a number of considerable differences among various countries about the use of this technology. This arose from the results of the survey of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In this regard, according to Milavec et al. (2014), it was established that that the use of GMO foods had various adverse effects on the conservation and sustainability of biodiversity. Additionally, the protocol stated that health effects that arise from their use. Therefore, it was internationally agreed that a certain level of protection (such as labeling) be made to ensure that the users are well protected.

Querci et al. (2009) states that the issue of the use of GMO in food and feed samples is very critical and should, therefore, be technically, legally and commercially analyzed. Blanckie et al. (2015) opines that there has been a lot of public opposition towards GMOS despite the scientific evidence showing that the technology is safe. As a result, the authors propose that there has been several misrepresentations about the effects of the use of GMOS. According to Rotolo et al (2014), the use of GMOs is instrumental in the continuity of food production, the adaptation to the unreliable and unpredictable climate, and the evolution of the human society. However, the author are also concerned about the controversy that the GMO use has raised among different people. As such, Van Asselt & Vos (2008) opines that there is growing concern for the effects that the use of GMO have on the health of individuals and the environment. This research will, therefore, add to this existing body of knowledge by evaluating the various benefits of their use and the adverse effects. Eventually, a conclusion will be made on whether the GMOs are important for use or are in fact poisons for the living creatures.

Research Methods

A qualitative research method will be deployed in this research with the aim of answering the research questions. Specifically, the researcher will use secondary data from the various available scholarly articles on this subject matter. Varieties of literature on this subject matter will be reviewed with the aim of obtaining what has been researched on this subject matter. These articles will be obtained from various websites as well as the university library. From the various information gathered in the qualitative research, a systematic inquiry via the use of empirical evidence from the researcher would be applied to achieve the research objectives.

Concluding Thoughts

The proposed research will aim to evaluate whether the use of GMOS is in fact a progress for a country or a method that is poisonous to the living creatures who include humans, plants and microorganisms. It is assumed that the use of GMOs is detrimental to the health of the users as well as to the sustainability of the environment. Therefore, a qualitative method of data collection will be used to support or disapprove the hypothesis. Specifically a literature review will be conducted on various scholarly articles related to this subject matter.

References

Uzogara, S. G. (2000). The impact of genetic modification of human foods in the 21st century: A review. Biotechnology Advances, 18(3), 179-206.

Milavec, M., Dobnik, D., Yang, L., Zhang, D., Gruden, K., & Zel, J. (2014). GMO quantification: valuable experience and insights for the future. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, 406(26), 6485-6497.

Querci, M., Van den Bulcke, M., Zel, J., Van den Eede, G., & Broll, H. (2010). New approaches in GMO detection. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 396(6), 1991-2002.

Blancke, S., Van Breusegem, F., De Jaeger, G., Braeckman, J., & Van Montagu, M. (2015). Fatal attraction: the intuitive appeal of GMO opposition. Trends in plant science, 20(7), 414-418.

Rotolo, G. C., Francis, C., Craviotto, R. M., Viglia, S., Pereyra, A., & Ulgiati, S. (2015). Time to re-think the GMO revolution in agriculture. Ecological Informatics, 26, 35-49.

Lynch, D., & Vogel, D. (2001). The regulation of GMOs in Europe and the United States: A case-study of contemporary European regulatory politics. Council on Foreign Relations.

Van Asselt, M. B., & Vos, E. (2008). Wrestling with uncertain risks: EU regulation of GMOs and the uncertainty paradox. Journal of risk research, 11(1-2), 281-300.