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Viking New Tech

Huntington North High School
GMOs
Yay or Nay?
RaeAnne Smith
BioTech
Period 1-2
Miss Noffsinger; Mrs. Richman, Facilitator
February 1st, 2016

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RaeAnne K. Smith
Miss Noffsinger; Mrs. Richman
BioTech
2/22/16
GMOs: Yay or Nay?
Genetically engineering food can pose a huge threat towards humans and animals. Not
only do the proteins in the food get involved with this process, but with the proteins getting
involved, that automatically puts the protein synthesis at risk, hence the danger to whoever eats
the foods. So would you want to know what's in your food in case it's a danger to you, or would
you rather have those ingredients hidden? It has been told that there is 80% of hidden ingredients
in your food, lets settle this.
What is protein synthesis? What is the process of a popular method of genetic
engineering? Does genetic engineering pose a health risk to those who eat the foods? All of these
questions are repeatedly brought up in the discussion of GMO's. If you don't know by now,
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. In other words, a change in the way our foods
or organisms that we eat are made.

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Protein synthesis is a process in which DNA is used to be able to have transcription and
translation as well as RNA for replicating DNA strands. DNA has four bases, Guanine-Cytosine,
and Adenine-Thymine. RNA has a second base called Uracil. Now Uracil is only paired up
with Adenine in the code sequence of RNA. All of these are important for protein synthesis
because of the DNA Strands. The DNA strand starts out as one, but through this process it has to
go from the nucleus to the ribosome, and transcription and translation take place. This is where
RNA comes into place. It allows the coding sequence to change, as well as AA to help. AA
stands for Amino Acids, which take the different types of RNA and turn them into proteins.
Duplicating is allowing the whole DNA strand to be split into identical pieces for more of those
same strands.
Protein synthesis is involved in GMOs because if an industry uses food that has been
genetically engineered, the proteins could be different than regular foods. This relates to humans
because some people may be allergic to some of those new proteins. These companies are not
going to put labels if their foods have been modified. Thus, you being in a health risk due to
GMOs.
One process of genetic engineering is plant breeding. Plant growers would use their
knowledge of genes in plants to select desirable traits into their new plant(s). This in itself is very
dangerous. Almost every person in this world eats some type of plant. Whether its lettuce to a
carrot, we eat it. The point to Plant Breeding is the fact that they use certain steps to complete
the process of genetic engineering. They do the same steps that protein synthesis takes, but they
just twist it up a little bit. They have an extra step for this process, and its called backcross
breeding. Most plant breeding is about the same.

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While still on the topic of plant breeding, a paragraph from The Process of Plant
Genetic Engineering, Plant breeding is important, but cannot be over-used (Nebraska 1). While
this issue has its ups, there are also its downs. Everything has its limits, string with tension, the
body with pain, etc., but most things need those limitations. Adding more to this process of
modification could harm us humans more than the normal modification can. More mods, more
dangers to me.
Speaking of some dangers to humans, a large percentage of people in this world eat
genetically engineered foods without knowing (Center for Food Safety 1). That just proves that
the food industries could keep important information from us without us knowing. Isnt that
scary? Who knows what type of things the FDA could allow to pass through! We could be eating
rat feces for all we know! Yuck! Lets make them put those labels on those foods! Certainly, rat
feces does not sound appetizing!
On with the health risks involved with GMOs, there are about six that collected. Those
six that collected are (Center for Food Safety 4):

Toxicity
Allergic Reactions
Antibiotic Resistance
Immuno-suppression
Cancer
Loss of Nutrition
All of these posted above are all health risks for humans. GMOs pose huge health risks

to us, so why arent we able to see what were eating? Lets see whats in our foods. If theres
a chance to get cancer from eating genetically modified foods, everybody would need to be
informed. Boycotting that product would be a good choice, but we cant do that. Old idea.

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Toxicity would just be plain painful. Having toxins slowing tearing away at you would hurt.
Now, there are many people in the world who have tons of allergies. There are also many
people who dont know if theyre allergic to a product yet or not, so labeling would be nice.
Loss of nutrition is also a big thing in this human body we all have.
Without very many nutrients in our body, we would be very weak and vulnerable. There
are many people who fear the unknown, especially if you consider knowing what is in the
food we eat. Losing nutrients and becoming weak would only heighten their fear.
Theres my argument over GMOs. GMOs are dangerous things. Label the dang foods,
please! Genetically engineered foods pose a big threat to us. Lets fight it. Become the bigger
person in the picture. Be American!

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Works Cited
AgBiosafety at UNL - Biotech Basic The Process of Plant Genetic Engineering." AgBiosafety at
UNL - Biotech Basic The Process of Plant Genetic Engineering. University of Nebraska.
Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
Center for Food Safety | Issues | GE Foods | GE Food & Your Health." Center for Food Safety.
Web. 29 Jan. 2016.