What Are GM Crops?
GM Crops (or genetically modified crops) are exactly what they sound like- crops that have a modified DNA encoding. This is usually for a certain purpose- to make it grow faster, to make the crop last longer or resistant to pests and herbicides, or maybe even to have plants that can produce medicine or remove harmful substances from the environment (a process called bioremediation.)
The most common GM crops are soy, corn, and cotton.
The most common GM crops are soy, corn, and cotton.
How are they made and what are we using them for?
How are they made?
There are many ways to manipulate the DNA of an organism. Some modifications involve "deleting" a section of DNA to get rid of an unwanted trait. Another, the more common variety, involves inserting a gene from another organism into the target's DNA. This is usually to get the plant to produce a certain protein or enzyme or grow in a certain way. Of course, what many people don't realize is that we have been genetically modifying crops since we first knew haw to farm. This is selective breeding. |
How are they used in today's market?
The three most common types of GM crops on the market today are soy, corn, and cotton. All three of these have a common variant where they produce Bt proteins, which kill pests. The general scientific consensus is that this is relatively harmless to humans, but some people are unsure. These crops also have a variety with a resistance to herbicides. This raises questions whether the herbicides stay on the plants and cause health issues later down the road. Corn also has a variety available that converts it's starches into sugar to aid with ethanol production. |