P 5.

00

Page 1
Republic of the Philippines Course Code: GE7
INITAO COLLEGE Course Title: Science, Technology, and Society
Jampason, Initao, Misamis Oriental Unit: 3 (lecture)
1st Semester, A.Y. 2021 – 2022
Instructor’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Instructor’s Name:
BRYAN LESTER M. DELA ROMELYN J. BANAYBANAY JOHN MICHAEL R. LORONO
CRUZ Mobile Number: Mobile Number:
Mobile Number: 0960-684-2524 0905-844-2853
0955-524-4931 e-mail address: e-mail address:
e-mail address: romelyn050177@gmail.com khel.loron@gmail.com
bryanlestermercado.delacruz@gm
ail.com Class: Class:
Class: BSBA3 G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, and BSCrim3 G1 and G2
BSHM3 G1, G2, and G3 G8
BSBA3 G1 and G2
BEEd3 G1 and G2
Module 11 (November 16 to 30, 2021)
Topic: Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Genetically Modified Organisms:
Science, Health, and Politics  Identify issues on genetically modified organisms
(GMOs)
Duration: 3 hours  Discuss different implications and impact of GMOs

INTRODUCTION

In 2001, Rosalie Ellasus – a former OFW in Singapore turned farmer attended the Integrated
Pest Management – Farmers Field School and was introduced to Bt Corn – a genetically modified corn
that is resistant to the destructive Asian corn borer.

Ms. Ellasus volunteered for demo testing in her field, and the Bt Corn yielded 7.2 tons per acre.
This was one of the success stories of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (Ongkiko, 2016)

In 1951, the term “Genetic Engineering” was coined by Jack Williamson.

The general process of genetic engineering is the deliberate manipulation of the organism’s
genes, where it may involve transfer of genes from other organism.

Genetically Modified Organism

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or
microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur
naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.

According to new research it is an organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in
order to favor the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological
products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long been the
practice to breed select individuals of a species in order to produce offspring that have desirable traits. In
genetic modification, however, recombinant genetic technologies are employed to produce organisms
whose genomes have been precisely altered at the molecular level, usually by the inclusion of genes
from unrelated species of organisms that code for traits that would not be obtained easily through
conventional selective breeding (Diaz, 2021).

A diagram of how bacterial gene is introduced through genetic engineering to plant cells and tissues to
develop and breed a genetically modified plant.

The Genetic Engineering Process on a Plant

 Page 2
GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries

The Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health

(CEEH, 2013) identified the following role of GMOs in
the food and agricultural industries:

1. Pest resistance – genetically modified plants to

resist certain pests.
An example is Bt Corn. The DNA
(genome) of the Bt Corn has been modified
with the gene of Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil
bacterium that produces proteins which is toxic
to corn borers (worms).

2. Virus Resistance – genetically modified plants to resist certain

viruses.
An example is GM papaya or rainbow papaya. The papaya
ringspot virus (PSRV) is known to be detrimental to papaya plants.
The protein of PRSV was introduced to the papaya plant through plant tissue which turned out to be
resistant to the virus itself. The effect was like the vaccines humans have against measles or
influenza virus.

3. Herbicide Tolerance – genetically modified plants to tolerate herbicide.

An example is Roundup Ready soybean. Glyphosate, an herbicide for weeds, was introduced to
soybeans making it tolerant to the herbicide itself. Farmers then can spray the herbicide killing the
weeds but not the soybeans.

4. Fortification – genetically modified plants fortified with certain minerals,

An example is Golden Rice. Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, was introduced through
biosynthesis genes to the rice, making the rice grains fortified with vitamin A.

5. Cosmetic preservation – genetically modified plants resist natural discoloration.

An example is Arctic Apple. The apple variety was genetically modified to suppress the browning
of apple due to superficial damage.

6. Increase growth rate – a genetically modified organism that has higher yield in growth than normal
species.
An example is AquAdvantage salmon. A gene from an ocean pout, an eel-like fish was
introduced to Pacific Chinook salmon, making the salmon grow faster than its normal rate.

GMOs in Non-Food Crops and Microorganisms

1. Flower Production – are seen in modified color and extended vase life of flowers.
Example: Blue Roses
2. Paper Production – modified characteristics of trees for higher yield of paper production.
Example: Lignin trees
3. Pharmaceutical productions – modified plants to produce pharmaceutical products.
Example: periwinkle plants (cancer treatment)
4. Bioremediation – use of modified plants that can assist in the bioremediation of polluted sites.
Example: shrub tobacco
5. Enzyme and drug production – use of modified microorganisms that can produce enzymes for food
processing and medicines.
Example: Cyclomaltodextrin glycosyltranferase (CGTase) an enzyme used for food flavor
enhancer. Another is artemesin. Artemesinic acid is a compound used for anti-malarial drug.

6. GMOs in the medical field – genetic engineering is playing a significant role from diagnosis to
 Page 3
treatment of human-dreaded diseases. It helps in the production of drugs, gene therapy, and
laboratory researches.
Example: Humulin, the genetically engineered insulin used by Type 1 diabetes patients
who are insulin-dependent.

Benefits of GMOs

Studies show some of the potential benefits of GMOs.

o Higher efficiency in farming
o Increase in harvest
o Control in fertility
o Increase in food processing
o Improvement of desirable characteristics
o Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
o Reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides

Potential Risks of GMOs

Opponents of GMOs have the following major concerns:

1. Since genetic engineering is still a young branch of science, there are inadequate studies on the
effects of GMOs to humans and the environment.
2. Genetic engineering promotes mutation in organisms which the long term effect is still unknown.
3. Human consumption of GMOs might have the following effects:
o More allergic reactions
o Gene Mutation
o Antibiotic resistance
o Nutritional value

Potential Environmental Risks Caused by GMOs

Karki (2006) summarized the perceived potential environmental risks caused by GMOs. The identified
major risks are the following:
1. Risk in gene flow
2. Emergence in new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems.
3. Recombination of Virus and Bacteria to Produce New Pathogens

Biosafety on GMOs

There are initiatives for the protection of the general human population regarding the issues and
concerns about GMOs. International organizations developed principles and treaties that somehow
ensure biosafety on GMOs. Some of the initiatives are as follows:
 The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
 International Trade Agreement on Labeling of GM food and food products.

GMOs in Philippine Context

Philippine Policies in Relation to GMOs

1990 – Executive Order 430 (EO 430): -- Created the National Committee on Biosafety of the
Philippines (NCBP)
1991 – First Edition of the Philippine Biosafety Guidelines (PBG)
2002 – Department of Agriculture- Administrative Order 8 (DAO 8) -- appoints its Bureau of Plant
Industry (DA-BPI) to regulate field trials and propagation and commercial release of
GMOs
2006 – Executive Order 514 (EO 514): National Biosafety Framework 2010 – Republic Act 10068 or
the Organic Agriculture Act
2013 – Republic Act 10611 or the Food Safety Act Relevant Laws
 Page 4

Related Issues

 No GMO Labeling Law.

 Regulatory agencies as clearing houses.
 No mechanisms to assess the safety of these GMOs on the environment and on human and
animal health.
 Government agencies are clueless as to their particular role in the assessment and regulation of
GMOs
 Enforcement of liberalized agriculture, thereby opening the agriculture sector for market-oriented
and corporation-controlled systems and mechanisms

Impacts of GMOs

Defined and known useful genes when inserted into an organism will definitely affect the growth pattern,
behavior and products of the said organism in a short span of time saving a lot of pesos in conducting
research when compared to traditional breeding. GMOs have been around for several years and their
impacts are already felt. Through the GM technologies, "designer crops” can be produced. These are
crops with more nutrients, pesticide resistant, insect resistant, require less inputs to grow and produce
more yield. Some agricultural soils are saline. This condition hampers the growth of crops because they
cannot grow well or sometimes the crops are unable to grow. Thus, there is a need to research to come
up with salt tolerant organisms. The commercialization of Bt corn is very useful to farmers as they were
able to have increased income.

Growing GM plants allows the farmers to spend less time and money in pesticides and herbicides.
Papaya resistant to Papaya Ringspot Virus and with delayed ripening command a good place in export
market. GMO foods are also now available in the market. In other parts of the world, GMOs are
considered to have health threats. The downside of farming with GMOs include "creating super weeds”
that have evolved a resistance to glyphosate, a common herbicide in GMO food production.

Module 12 (November 16 to 30, 2021)

Topic: Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 The Nano World  Define nanotechnology
 Characterize nanoscale
Duration: 3 hours  Describe the various uses of nanotechnology
 Discuss concerns on the use of nanotechnology
 Explain the status of the use of nanotechnology in the Philippines
The Nano World

Just as human understanding of the natural world was revolutionized by the discovery of light
microscopes, modern microscopes that can expose and change individual atoms are once again
exposing a whole new world-the nano world. Scientific researchers have developed new technological
tools that greatly improved different aspects of our lives through the use of nanoscale.

Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale. It is
concerned with building 'things' - generally, materials and devices on the scale of atoms and molecules.
It encompasses science and technology that manufactures materials of great help to the improvement of
various areas of society especially health, environment, energy, electronics, food, water, and agriculture.

How Small is a Nanoscale?

A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The illustration below shows how small nanoscale is compared
to other particles or materials.

How to view Nanomaterials

Scientists use special types of microscopes to view minute nanomaterials. These are the electron
microscopes, and the atomic force microscope and scanning tunneling microscope which are just among
 Page 5
the modern and remarkable advances in microscopy.
1. Electron microscope - It utilizes a
particle beam of electrons to light up a
specimen and develop a well-magnified

image. They can magnify objects up to a

million times.

2. Atomic force microscope - It makes

use of a mechanical probe that gathers
information from the surface of a material.

History
Antecedents of
Science and
Technology

5
Benefits and Concerns of Using
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has various
applications in different sectors of the
society and environment.
 Page 6

However, there are concerns that need

to be addressed before using and
promoting materials
derived from nanotechnology.
1. Nanotechnology is not a single
technology; it may become prevalent.
2. It seeks to develop new materials
with specific properties.
3. New efficiencies and paradigms
may be introduced that may render
certain natural
resources and current practices
uncompetitive or obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect
its presence unless one has the
specialist tools of
nanotechnology.
Table 1. Benefits and Concerns of the
Application of Nanotechnology in
 Page 7

Different Areas
Example of Areas Affected
by Nanotechnology
Possible Benefits
Concerns
Environment
 Improved detection
and removal of
contaminants
 Development of
benign industrial
processes and
materials
 High reactivity and
toxicity
 Pervasive distribution
in the environment
 No nano-specific EPA
regulation
 Page 8

Health
 Improved medicine
 Ability to cross cell
membranes and
translocate in the
body
 No FDA approval
needed for cosmetics
or supplements
Economy
 Better products
 New jobs
 Redistribution of
wealth
 Potential cost of
cleanups and
healthcare
 Accessibility to all
 Page 9

income levels.
3. Scanning tunneling microscope - It enables scientists to view and manipulate nanoscale particles,
atoms, and small molecules.

Nanomanufacturing
 Refers to scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale
 Involves research, improvement, and incorporation
 Leads to the development of new products and improved materials

Two Fundamental Approaches to nanomanufacturing:

1. Bottom-up fabrication
 Build products from atomic-and molecular-scale components
 Can be time-consuming
 Scientists and engineers are still in search for the effective ways of putting up components
that self-assemble
2. Top-down fabrication
 Trims down to large pieces of materials into nanoscale
 Needs larger amounts of materials and discards excess raw materials

New approaches to the assembly of nanomaterials based from the top-down and bottom-up
fabrications
1. Dip-pen lithography
 Tip of an atomic force microscope is “dipped” into a chemical fluid and then utilized to “write”
on a surface
2. Self-assembly
 Set of components join together to mold an organized structure in the absence of an outside
direction
3. Chemical vapor deposition
 Chemicals act in response to form very pure, high-performance films
4. Nanoimprint lithography
 Generating nanoscale attributes by “stamping” or “printing” them on a surface
5. Molecular beam epitaxy
 Depositing extremely controlled thin films
6. Roll-to-roll processing
 High-volume practice for constructing nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal
7. Atomic layer epitaxy
 Laying down one-atom-thick layers on a surface
These techniques made nanomaterials more durable, stronger, lighter, water-repellent, etc.

Computers
 Near future: better, more efficient, larger storage, faster, energy-saving
 Entire memory of a computer will be aved in a single tiny chip
Nanotechnology
 Construct high-efficiency, low-cost batteries and solar cells

Distinct Features of Nanoscale

Nanotechnology – operating at a very small dimension; allows scientists to make use of the
exceptional optical, chemical, physical, mechanical, and biological qualities of materials

1. Scale at which much biology occurs

 Various cell activities at the nanoscale
 Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) – genetic material of the cell; only about 2 nanometers in diameter
 Hemoglobin – transports oxygen to tissues throughout the body; 5.5 nanometers in diameter
 Bio-barcode assay – fairly inexpensive approach for identification of specific disease markers in
the blood despite their small number in a particular specimen
 Page 10
2. Scale at which quantum effects dominate properties of materials
 Particles with dimensions of 1-100 nanometers have properties significantly discrete from
particles of bigger dimensions
 Quantum effects – direct the behavior and properties of particles
 Size of material = properties
 Essential properties of nanoscale that change as a function of size:
o Chemical reactivity
o Fluorescence
o Magnetic permeability
o Melting point
o Electrical conductivity
 Nanoscale gold – yellow-colored element which may appear red or purple;
 Gold’s electron – display restricted motion in nanoscale
 Nanoscale gold particles – build up in tumors; permit both precise imaging and targeted laser
destruction of the tumor
3. Nanoscale materials have far larger surface areas than similar masses of larger-scale materials
 Surface area per mass of a material = greater amount of the material comes in contact with
another material [ affects the reactivity]

Possible Applications of Nanotechnology in the Philippines (Dayrit, 2005)

1. ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and medicine
3. Energy
4. Food and agriculture
5. Environment

Nanotech Roadmap for the Philippines (funded by PCAS-TRD-DOST)

1. ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and biomedical
3. Energy
4. Food and agriculture
5. Environment
6. Health and environmental risk
7. Nano-metrology
8. Education and public awareness

Government Funding for Nanotechnology

in Different Countries (Dayrit, 2005)
Benefits and Concerns of Using Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology has various applications in different sectors of

the society and environment. However, there are concerns that
need to be addressed before using and promoting materials
derived from nanotechnology.

1. Nanotechnology is not a single technology; it may become

prevalent.
2. It seeks to develop new materials with specific properties.
3. New efficiencies
and paradigms may
be introduced that
may render certain
natural resources
and current practices
uncompetitive or obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the specialist tools of nanotechnology.

Summary
 Page 11

Nanotechnology
Advanced interdisciplinary field
Manufactures materials of great help to the improvement
Field that needs to be explored by experts and neophytes
Before engaging with nanotechnology, we need to account the social, ethical, and environmental
concerns of using such nanomaterials

REFERENCE:

- Science, Technology, and Society, Serafica, JP, et. Al.

- https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/batangas-state-university/computer-science/genetically-modified-
organisms-science-health-and-politics/15581052
- https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/polytechnic-university-of-the-philippines/accountancy/sts-the-nano-
world/16797861

GE7 – SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

1st Semester of A.Y. 2021-2022
Mr. Bryan Lester M. Dela Cruz

Assessments for LM 11 – 12

Name: _________________________________________BSBA Group: ________LLH: _______________

Multiple Choice and True or False. Write the letter or the word True or False on the blank provided before each number.
(2 points each)

_______1. What does GMO stand for?

a. Genetically modified organism
b. Grand money order
c. Good marketing option
d. Genuine motivation only
_______2. What are 2 of the top 4 GM crops?
a. Wheat and barley
b. Soy and corn
c. Tomatoes and peppers
d. Kale and spinach
_______3. Which is the only commercialized GM fruit?
a. Bananas
b. Apples
c. Papaya
d. Plums
_______4. Some plants are made resistant to pests by using a gene from:
a. Pine trees
b. Rice
c. Bacteria
d. Corn
_______5. The prefix "nano" comes from a ...
a. French word meaning billion
b. Greek word meaning dwarf
c. Spanish word meaning particle
d. Latin word meaning invisible
_______6. The scanning tunneling microscope (SEM) capable of imaging the nanoscale was invented in
a. Germany
b. Japan
 Page 12
c. Switzerland
d. The United States
_______7. Top-down approach is best described as;
a. bulk materials are broken down into smaller and smaller particles
b. nanoparticles are built up an atom/molecule at a time
c. seek to arrange smaller components into more complex assemblies
d. smaller materials are assembled to make bigger products

_______8. You expect the products of nanomaterials to be;

a. durable
b. stronger
c. lighter
d. all of the above
_______9. All are characteristics of nanotechnology product, except;
a. faster
b. smaller
c. lighter
d. weaker
TRUE or FALSE
_______10. Companies are required by law to label their products as "non-GMO' or GMO free.
_______11. When you purchase products labeled "100% organic," "organic," or "made with organic ingredients," all
ingredients in these products are not allowed to be produced from GMOs.
_______12. Genetic Modification (GM) of food involves the laboratory process of artificially inserting genes into the DNA of
food crops or animals.
_______13. GMOs may cause allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems.
_______14. Corn is the only GM grain sold on the market today.
_______15. There is no benefit with regard to genetically modified (GM) food.