About GM food

I found a video shows the difference between traditionally grown plants and genetically modified plants, you all can take a look! :D

How do scientists successfully modify the foods we eat?The whole process involves the identification and manipulation of certain genes that can modify the sweetness of a strawberry or change the color of an apple. A gene that determines a desirable trait is found and isolated from a donor organism, which is then incorporated into the recipient organism's genome.The recipient then treats this new gene like any other part of its DNA in a process called Transgenics. Another method of genetic modification is by altering the number of genetic copies in order to modify the position of the gene in the organism's genome. Although gene location is a difficult process, advancements in technology have allowed scientists to establish genome sequencing and data-analyzing techniques for hundreds of organisms in order to better understand and utilize certain genes.

Why do genetically modified foods exist?
Researchers develop genetically modified foods for the purpose of creating an advantage to the producer or the consumer of these products. Such an advantage can be a new product which has greater overall benefits and can sell at a lower price compared to its competitors. The original objective for genetically modified food development was to enhance crop production, such as modifying a plant to age slower or to be resistant to diseases. Nearly 40% of the world's food crop is lost every year to insects, fungal diseases and spoilage. By genetically modifying plants to be less susceptible to these factors, the overall worldwide crop yield would dramatically increase.

Source: http://geneticallymodifiedfood.synthasite.com/

AMANDA