What Do You Really Know About
Bio-Technology?
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Is Bio-Technology Really Friendly?Biotechnology, a '90s buzzword, popularly conjures up somewhat ominous images of gene-tinkering. Yet manipulating the genetic makeup of plants and animals to improve crop yields is far from new. Cross-breeding for desired traits such as tallness, greater milk yield or sweeter fruits, has been practiced ever since humans took up farming. However, classical breeding methods have drawbacks, especially the length of time required to achieve the desired quality. Traditional cross-breeding means crossing all the genes in two plants or animals for maybe 10, 12 or more years, to create one with the desired trait(s). Also, traditional cross-breeding can only be used within individuals of the same (or related) species - further limiting its ability to enhance or alter food quality.What are the benefits of biotechnology? Biotechnology can dramatically reduce the time and effort required to improve crops and livestock. The technique allows scientists to modify plants and animals in a more controlled way, choosing selected genes for cross-breeding instead of crossing hundreds of genes through many generations to obtain the desired characteristic. The new technique allows the transfer of one or a few selected gene at a time, for just one or a few desirable traits. And the technique even permits genes with certain traits to be transferred from one species to another, impossible by traditional breeding methods. The basis of modern food biotechnology depends on the molecule deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA, the genetic material of all living cells. It is contained in the chromosomes (threadlike structures) inside the cell nucleus. Unraveling the molecular structure of DNA opened the door to rapid advances in food biotechnology. instead of mixing all the hundreds of genes within a plant or animal in back-crossing, scientists can now "select out" a particular gene (length of DNA) responsible for a particular trait. In essence, genetic manipulation means taking one or more selected genes (portions of DN) and incorporating them into the genetic material of another plant or animal, bypassing the need for tedious years of breeding. The gene transfer is done by a complex "cut and paste" procedure in which transcription or cutting enzymes "cut" (remove) a specific gene from one organism's DNA and "paste" or splice it into the DNA of another organism. The burgeoning benefits of food biotechnology include better tasting fruits and vegetables, disease-resistant crops requiring less pesticides and plants with improved nutrient contents, to name a few. For instance, slower-ripening tomatoes that can stay on the vine longer without rotting, will allow better-tasting ripe produce to be shipped out instead of being artificially ripened. Or, for example, crookneck squash plants can be made resistant to the viruses carried by insects (aphids) that often destroy them, reducing crop spoilage and decreasing the need for pesticides. Growers are also producing virus-resistant varieties of potatoes, cucumbers and melons. Other improvements achieved through food biotechnology are sweet potatoes resistant to the "feathery virus," higher-protein rice (obtained via genes transferred from pea plants) and cooking oils with lower saturated fat contents. Corn, canola or soybean plants can now be modified to reduce their saturated fat content - thereby perhaps helping consumers to lower their blood-cholesterol levels. Gene transfer is also used in animals to make them resistant to specific diseases and to meet consumer demands for leaner meat. Stringent regulations ensure the safety of biotech techniques Health Canada, Environment Canada, Human Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans along with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada jointly regulate the products of biotechnology. They assess health risks before products made by biotechno10gy are allowed on the market. These agencies ensure that human and animal health and the environment are not harmed. In Canada today, the only approved use of biotechnology for food production is for chymosin produced through recombinant DNA techniques. Chymosin, known as the "animal-friendly cheese enzyme" is far cheaper and easier to produce by biotechnology than its predecessor rennet, which had to be extracted from bacteria in the lining of calves' stomachs. (Almost half the cheese made in North America no longer requires rennet.) Also under consideration by Canada's regulators is an application by the Canadian dairy industry to use bovine somatotropin or BST to increase milk production. BST, a protein hormone needed by cows to produce milk, can now be made outside the cow's body through recombinant DNA techniques, then put back into cows to enhance milk production. In conclusion Given that the world's present population of 5.5 billion will double to 11-12 billion by the year 2030, anything that can help food production keep pace should be welcomed. The key word here is “should”. Actually, genetically engineered grains, which have been genetically modified (GMOs) to produce a higher yield, are harder to digest, particularly for those living in third world countries where they have little exposure to the modern “prepared foods” so common in the western world. Thus, in spite of Health and Environment Canada, USDA and FDA and other agencies assurances of safety, you should take these assurances with a healthy grain of salt and test them out on yourself in small quantities before leaping right into wholesale use. Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken as “medical advice” on any product, condition or course of action, nor does it constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing any specific product, specific result, nor any possible cure for any condition or problem. This article is meant as a source of information upon which you may base your decision as to whether or not you should begin using any vitamin, mineral and/or herbal supplement for better health, or begin using a “greens” product as a dietary supplement. If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a possible different opinion. The author does not bear any responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your actions based upon those decisions. |
Author's Bio:
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Loring
Windblad
has studied nutrition and exercise for more than 40 years, is
a published author and freelance writer. This article is Copyright 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text, including the Authors Resource Box, intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos. |
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