Genetically Modified Crops (Essay Sample)

Genetically modified crops
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Genetically modified (GM) crops
Gene technology is a branch of modern biotechnology concerned with the deliberate modification of the organism’s genome to produce the desired traits. Therefore, Genetic engineering of crops is the alteration of the gene sequence of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of crops by insertion or gene replacement to obtain the specific traits such as pest resistance and drought tolerance. The modified plants are thus referred as genetically modified crops. The aim of the gene technology is to create the new trait that the harvest does not naturally possess. Farmers have widely adopted the GM technology in the cultivation of the different crops to improve the quality and produce.
Genetic engineering of plants has seen great success in farming since the first modified antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant in 1982 (Hull, 2009). Golden rice is genetically modified, and the crop is altered to produce high levels of vitamin A. Daffodils, and a bacterium genes are implanted to provide beta-carotene elements that are converted to vitamin A in the body. Genetically modification of tomatoes runs back to 1994 when the first modified tomatoes were availed to the consumers (Forman, 2010). Currently over 50 crops are genetically engineered to serve the growing populations. The field of crop genetic engineering has shown significant progress due to the greater understanding of the deoxyribonucleic acid as the chemical double helix bond that is the basis for genes.
Modern plant design utilizes the recombinant DNA technology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A gene is a genetic print and is the molecular unit of inheritance and each segment of the DNA codes for the synthesis of a particular product. DNA extraction techniques aim to lyse the cells and solubilize the DNA that is amplified using PCR. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is series of steps method that multiply or amplify the DNA. Millions of DNA copies can be produced from a single DNA copy. The DNA segments can then be combined with a series of procedures and integrated into the chromosome of a different crop. Genetic engineering allows the transfer of one or few genes to closely-related or distant organisms (Hull, 2009).
The technique of genetic engineering involves the use of one or more gene sequences from one organism into the chromosome of the target organism. It involves five critical steps which are DNA extraction, gene cloning, gene design, and transformation and backcross breeding. DNA is extracted from the desired organism, a single gene is separated from the other genes, develops the gene, the gene is inserted into the cells, and finally transgenic crops are crossed with elite breeding lines. The intended gene is usually marked by an antibiotic resistant marker gene and then isolated on culture plate containing the respective antibiotic. A bacteria or naked virus is used to inject the gene into the recipient genome (Carter, 2011).
The central dogma of gene engineering is that DNA contains the genetic information and the information flows from nucleic acid to nucleic acid, from nucleic acid to the protein but never from the protein to the nucleic acid. Proteins can make copies of DNA but cannot make copies of proteins independent of the genetic blueprint. The specific enzymes that are involved in genetic engineering have an essential function. Restriction and ligases enzymes identify specific DNA sequences and cut them into smaller fragments (Hull, 2009). Genetic code and DNA structure are universal thus allow the recombination of DNA from the different organism. Recombinant DNA technology, therefore, enables construction of crops with novel traits.
However, ethical and social concerns provide possible implication on the genetic engineering of plants despite Food and Drug Association declaring them safe for consumption. Several objections have been made to GM crops based on various grounds including environmental concerns, ethical, social concerns and economic concerns since these plants are guarded by intellectual property law. Extensive debates concerning the genetically modified crops have been rampant over the last quarter century. Ethical arguments have taken up the extensive intellectual rights to genes and their effect on human health, production, and control of the seeds by the processing companies. Despite its high adoption, there exists a multitude of social concerns on GMO. Some authors have extended the arguments to the unnatural medical setting of the food domain. GMO farming has socio-economic impacts on organic and small-scale holder farms (Carter, 2011).
GMO use benefits the environment, the farmers, and the consumers. Engineering crops improve the yields, drought tolerance, increases pesticide resistant, enhances the quality of crops and ens...