Today I will be talking about what a GMO is, how it might change the world (in a good way), and how they are made (along with some history of GMOs). You may have heard of them because there are both many misconceptions and facts. If you are wondering if GMOs are a good or bad thing, this might help you decide.

Chapter 1: What is a GMO?

“GMO” stands for Genetically Modified Organism. “Genetically” means the genes or the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) and the RNA (Ribonucleic acid). “Modified” is, well, modified (transforming something from its original anatomical form during development or evolution). “Organism” is all living things, from trees to bacteria. DNA was first discovered through chemical experiments in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the first x-ray was made of DNA, revealing the double helix structure. DNA is like a template which guides the growth and regeneration of organisms. By tweaking the pattern of DNA, the organism that grows will change. Evolution is nature’s way of changing life over time. A good example of evolution is the Jellyfish. If you did not know the jellyfish was the first animal to exist. Therefore almost every animal came from jellyfishes. But, GMOs are one of our ways of changing organisms. 

Chapter 2: Why do we have them?

GMOs are useful because with them; we can modify plants to withstand climate change and/or pests. We can choose which genes we put in the plant; depending on what gene it is, then it will do that specific thing. For example, some plants have been genetically modified so that they produced a certain protein that was deadly to some bugs. But, this poison does not affect humans, like chocolate and coffee. Chocolate and coffee are poisonous to some species, but are treats for us! Another example is the papaya virus called “ringspots.” It almost wiped out the papaya industry in Hawaii, but in the early 2000s, GMO papayas were vaccinated to be resistant to the virus. Finally, one day soon we might be able to engineer trees that can absorb more carbon dioxide AKA Co2 to reduce climate change.

Chapter 3: How do we make them, and how long have we had them?

GMOs are made by taking the genes of one plant and adding some genes of another plant for different properties. About 6,000 years ago – when ancient Mesopotamia was around – wheat, barley, lentils, and many types of peas were domesticated. Domestication or selective breeding has been around for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Selective breeding is when you take 2 slightly related plants and grow them near each other for a couple of generations. It is not guaranteed that you will get the result that you want. This way is done in fields, and is more “natural.” GMO and selective breeding both try to change a plant’s properties. But, GMO is a lot more controlled and will get the selected properties, at the cost of being made in a lab. The first GMO crop that went on the market in 1994 – the flavr savr tomato. A good example of selective breeding is corn. Corn used to be more like wheat. Now, we have it on a cob, and it is roughly 1,000 times bigger than what it originally was like. 

A is the plants B is the corns

Teosinte is wild Maize is domesticated

Which way is better? Well, it is just a matter of opinion. Some people believe that GMOs are a 

bad thing, and possibly dangerous. For example, a mom who bought Goldfish Crackers read the ingredients for the Goldfish and realized they contained a GMO in them even though the label said “all-natural.” She sued the Goldfish company for five million dollars in “damages.” However, the lawsuit did not say that anyone in her family was sickened by the product. In the USA and Canada it is okay to not label GMOs. However in EU region, Australia and New Zealand implement mandatory you need to label GMO foods.

To conclude, in a nutshell, GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They can be modified to withstand certain environments/pests, and depending on the definition of a genetically modified organism, we have been doing it for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.