The pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
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Genetically modified organisms (more commonly called GMOs) are organisms or micro-organisms (i.e. plants and animals) whose genetic make-up have been manipulated by artificially inserting components of another organism. This can take the form of transgenic modification, whereby the organism contains DNA from another species, or cisgenic modification, whereby it contains DNA from a member of the same species but doesn’t occur naturally. The latter form is generally viewed as a safer practice, although there are concerns for all types of genetic modification. However, the potential benefits of the practice are practically limitless, so it is imperative to know all of the facts about GMOs before making a judgement. Here are the pros and cons of such a practice:
The pros
GMO practices can be used to produce ‘designer’ crops, which have more nutrients, grow quicker and produce more yield, are more resistant to pesticides and use less fertiliser.
Artificially implanting DNA from one spe...
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