Are you familiar with the term, "GMO?" A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology (What is GMO). In 1994, the first GMO hit grocery stores, Flavr-savr tomatoes. Flavr-savr tomatoes were created by Calgene, Inc., but the company was later bought by Monsanto (GMO Timeline). They were created primarily for the purpose to suppress the polygalacturonate gene to delay how quickly they would soften after ripening (GMO Timeline). However, one of the strands of DNA used in the tomatoes expressed a gene that was resistant to the antibiotic, kanamycin, which led to further studies. …show more content…
Infertility and fetal imperilment, disease and illness, and environmental impact are among some of the broadest issues negatively associated with GMOs. In 1994, the first GMO hit grocery stores, Flavr-savr tomatoes. Flavr-savr tomatoes were created by Calgene, Inc., but the company was later bought by Monsanto (GMO Timeline). They were created primarily for the purpose to suppress the polygalacturonate gene to delay how quickly they would soften after ripening (GMO Timeline). However, one of the strands of DNA used in the tomatoes expressed a gene that was resistant to the antibiotic, kanamycin, which led to further studies. Sixteen years later, in 2010, A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security conducted a study on the infertility of mammals due to GMOs (GM Soy). GM soy produced by Monsanto, which is 91% grown on U.S. soil, …show more content…
Firstly, toxicity is an on-going debate, due to the fact that it has harmed many species. Along with the toxicity of the plants themselves, chemical herbicides and pesticides greatly increase the pernicious effects of the vegetation (The Environment). Bees and butterflies are among the most common of animals that are getting killed off by GMO crops (The Environment). This is not good considering that those animals are very important to the environment and play an important role in the pollination of plants. Secondly, another pesticide used to spray GMOs is chlorpyrifos (Engineering). Chlorpyrifos is an endocrine disrupter that contaminates water sources and it's also a neurotoxin that causes brain damage in children (Engineering). It's linked to Parkinson's disease as