CHAPTER 9

BIODIVERSITY
PHILIP G. JOSE RN,MN,LPT
Your best quote that reflects your
approach… “It’s one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind.”
AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER, THE STUDENTS
SHOULD BE ABLE TO;

1. DETERMINE THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF

SOCIETY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND HEALTH;
2. EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF GENETIC
ENGINEERING; AND
3. DISCUSS THE ETHICS, IMPLICATIONS, AND
POTENTIAL FUTURE IMPACTS OF GMOs.
 FROM THE EARLY TIMES, WHEN ANCIENT
PHILOSOPHERS OF NATURE TRIED TO EXPLAIN ALL
THINGS AS COMING FROM THE ELMENTS OF WATER,
FIRE, AIR OR EARTH,

SCIENCE SOUGHT FOR THE COMMON

CHARACTERISTIC, A UNIFYING ELEMENT, IN
ALL OF NATURE’S MANY PHENOMENA

THERE WAS A GROWING AWARENESS OF HOW

ALL LIVING THINGS ARE RELATED TO EACH
OTHER,
AN IDEA CALLED
BIODIVERSITY
 TAXONOMY
USED TO CLASSIFY ORGANISMS IN THE
NATURAL WORLD A SYSTEM DEVISED BY
SWEDISH SCIENTIST CARL
LINNAEUS

IT IS THE HIERARCHICAL SYSTEM OF

CLASSIFYING AND NAMING ORGANISMS

STILL USED TODAY IN THE BIO SCIENCES.

IT BUILDS ON THE ABILITY OF THE MIND TO FIND
THE COMMON IN THE DIVERSE, THE ONE IN THE
MANY.
IT IS A SYSTEM COMMONLY USED TODAY & SHOWS
THAT THOUGH THE LIVING ORGANISMS IN THE
WQORLD ARE SO DIVERSE, THEY STILL SHARE
MANY TRAITS
 THE ANSWER LIES IN THE WAY THE
WHERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT AVAILABLE ENERGY SUPPLY IN THE
SPECIES & GENERA COHABITATE, WORLD IS SHARED AMONG THE
THERE IS RICH BIODIVERSITY DIFFERENT SPECIES THROUGH THE
WITH A LIMITED VARIOUS ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP
AMOUNT OF
RESOURCES,
HOW DO THE
MANY LIVING
ORGANISMS OF
ONE OF THE BASIC LAWS OF THE A DIVERSE
LIVING IS THAT OF SELF- REGION THE ENERGY NEEDED TO LIVE IS
PRESERVATION. SURVIVE? SHARED AMONG THE ELEMENTS OF
AN ORGANISM WILL SACRIFICE THE LIVING WORLD, OR PASSED ON
ALL IT HAS TO ENSURE ITS FROM ONE TO ANOTHER
SURVIVAL
 THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF
BIODIVERSITY (STEFFEN THORSEN)

THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) DECLARED 2010 TO BE THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF

BIODIVERSITY , THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR FOR THE RAPPROCHEMENT OF CULTURES
& THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH.

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ALSO KNOWN AS BIODIVERSITY , IS THE TERM GIVEN

TO THE VARIETY OF LIFE ON EARTH & THE NATURAL PATTERNS IT FORMS. THIS
DIVERSITY IS OFTEN UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF THE VARIETY OF PLANTS, ANIMALS,
AND MICROORGANISMS. ABOUT 1.75 MILLION SPECIES ARE IDENTIFIED , MOSTLY
SMALL CREATURES SUCH AS INSECTS. SOME SCIENTIST S BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE
ACTUALLY ABOUT 13 MILLION SPECIES, THOUGH ESTIMATES RANGE FROM 3 TO 100
MILLION.
 THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY THREATENS FOOD SUPPLIES,
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND TOURISM AND SOURCES OF
WOOD, MEDICINES AND ENERGY. IT ALSO INTERFERES WITH THE
ESSENTIAL ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS. ON DECEMBER 20,2006, THE
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARED 2010 AS THE INTERNATIONAL
YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY. IT DESIGNATED THE SECRETARIAT OF THE
CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AS THE EVENT’S FOCAL
POINT. THE ASSEMBLY ALSO INVITED THE SECRETARIAT TO WORK
WITH OTHER UN BODIES,ENVIRONMENTAL AGGREEMENTS, AND
ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING GREATER INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION
TO THE CONTINUED LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
 THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY FOCUSES ON
BOOSTING AWARENESS OF BIODIVERSITY’S IMPORTANCE BY
PROMOTING ACTIONS TO FOSTER BIODIVERSITY WORLDWIDE.
VARIOUS PARTNERS HAVE COMMITTED TO ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATING IN OR ORGANIZING ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS FOR
THIS YEAR-LONG EVENT.
 BIOTECHNOLOGY

THE BIODIVERSITY
AIMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS IN
INTERNATIONAL HAS RELEASED A
MANAGING, CONSERVING, AND USING
MODULE TITLED “LAW AND POLICY
PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD
OF RELEVANCE TO THE
AND AGRICULTURE
MANAGEMENT OF PLANT GENETIC
RESOURCES”
 THE MODULE PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING
DEFINITIONS

BIOTECHNOLOGY
USES BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, LIVING ORGANISMS
OR DERIVATIVES THEREOF, TO MAKE OR MODIFY
PRODUCTS OR PROCESSES FOR A SPECIFIC USE

GENETIC ENGINEERING
A TECHNIQUE THAT ALLOWS GENES AND DNA TO
BE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE SOURCE TO
ANOTHER
IT LEADS TO THE PRODUCTION OF LIVING
MODIFIED ORGANISMS (LMO) OR GENETICALLY
MODIFIED ORGANISM(GMO)
 MODERN
BIOTECHNOLOGY
PAVES THE WAY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS
ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE.
GIVES SCIENTISTS MOLECULAR TOOLS FOR
IT AIMS TO DEVELOP NEW PRECISION TOOLS
OBTAINING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE
& DIAGNOSTICS,
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF GENES IN
SPEED UP BREEDING GAIN AND EFFICIENCY;
LIVNG ORGANISM
DEVELOP PEST & DISEASE-RESISTANT CROPS
COMBAT SALINITY, DROUGHT & PROBLEMS F
AGRICULTURE,
ENHANCE THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF
FOOD,
INCREASE CROP VARIETIES AND CHOICE;
REDUCE INPUTS & PRODUCTION COSTS,
INCREASE PROFIT.
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ORGANISMS
BASED ON EVOLUTIONARY THEORY, THE
CONCEPT OF THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
IMPLIES THAT LIVING ORGANISMS HAVE A
NATURAL SPECTRUM OF CHARACTERISTICS
SUCH AS SIZE, MASS OR LENGTH.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ORGANISM AND

ITS SUCCESSORS CAN BE MODIFIED TODAY BY
A MODERN TECHNOLOGY, GIVING RISE TO
WHAT ARE CALLED GENETICALLY
MODIFIED ORGANISMS OR GMOs.
A GMO IS A PLANT, ANIMAL, MICROORGANISM OR
OTHER ORGANISM WHOSE GENETIC MAKE UP HAS
BEEN MODIFIED USING RECOMBINANT DNA
METHODS ( GENE SPLICING), GENE MODIFICATION
OR TRANSGENIC TECHNOLOGY.

IT IS THE RESULT OF A LABORATORY PROCESS WHERE GENES FROM THE DNA

OF ONE SPECIES, ARE EXTRACTED AND ARTIFICIALLY INSERTED INTO THE
GENES OF AN UNREL;ATED PLANT OR ANIMAL ALSO CALLED GENETIC
ENGINEERING (GE) OR GENETIC MODIFICATION (GM).
BECAUSE THIS PROCESS INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF GENES,GMOs
ARE ALSO KNOWN AS TRANSGENIC ORGANISMS

GENETIC MODIFICATION AIMS TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH

REGARD TO FOOD SECURITY, AGRICULTURE, DRUG
PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION
 THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
GENETIC MODIFICATION MICROBE AND ITS REPRODUCTION
MECHANISM ARE CONTAINED IN ITS
GENE STRUCTURE
2. INSERTION OF THE TRAIT HAPPENS
1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE WHAT IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM
DESIRED TRAIT FROM ANOTHER ONE ORGANISM TO ANOTHER IS NOT
ORGANISM. THE WHOLE GENE BUT ONLY
A GENE CONTAINING THIS TRAIT IS SECTIONS OF THE GENE THAT CARRY
FIRST ISOLATED AND REPLICATED THE PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC
THAT WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE
ADULT ORGANISM.
AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL INSERTION,
THE MODIFIED ORGANISM SHOULD
BE ABLE TO GROW AND REPLICATE
 RECOMBINANT DNA
TECHNOLOGY
THE NEEDED INFORMATION FOR AN
ORGANISM CAN BE BORROWED FROM
ANOTHER.
IT MEANS THAT A FARMER CAN
DESIGN AN ORGANISM TO HAVE THE
CHARACTERISTICS NECESSARY TO
ADDRESS PARTICULAR ISSUE
FOR EXAMPLE,,,
A FARMER MAY WANT THE CROPS TO HAVE
LESS CHANCE OF GETTING BRUISED DUE TO
ROUGH HANDLING.
IF AN ORGANISM CONTAINING A GENE THAT
PREVENTS BRUISING IN THE MATURE FRUIT
COULD BE FOUND, THEN THIS
CHARACTERISTIC COULD THEN BE USED TO
MODIFY THE CROPS THROUGH THE PROCESS
OF RECOMBINANT GENE TECHNOLOGY

BECAUSE GMOs ARE NOVEL LIFE FORMS,
BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES WERE ABLE
TO OBTAIN PATENTS WHICH RESTRICT
THEIR USE.
SOME COMPANIES THAT MAKE GMOs
COULD HAVE THE POWER TO SUE FARMERS
THERE
WHOSE FIELDS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH
THESE ORGANISMS, EVEN WHEN IT IS THE
RESULT OF INEVITABLE DRIFTING FROM
NEIGHBORING FIELDS.
THEREFORE,GMOs MAY POSE A SERIOUS
THREAT TO FARMER SOVEREIGNTY AND TO
THE FOOD SECURITY OF A COUNTRY.
THE PROMISE OF A BETTER FOOD THAT IS
MORE RESISTANT TO SPOILAGE, PEST
INVASIVENESS AND HARSH WEATHER
CONDITIONS HAS MADE TRANSGENIC
CROPS ENTICING TO MANY PEOPLE.
IT IS A TRULY DEBATABLE TOPIC FOR THE
PEOPLE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, GIVEN THE
PROMISE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND YET
THE FACT THAT IT IS VERY NEW
SHOULD IT BE EMBRACED AS A SAVING
GRACE OR IS IT TO BE FEARED AS A POSSIBLE
THREAT TO A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SUPPLY?
 CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON
BIOSAFETY
THIS PROTOCOL IS AN INTERNATIONAL
IT TAKES A
AGREEMENT WHICH AIMS TO ENSURE
PRECAUTIONARY
THE SAFE HANDLING, TRANSPORT AND
APPROACH BY MAKING
USE OF LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISMS
SURE THAT COUNTRIES ARE
(LMOs) RESULTING FROM MODERN
PROVIDED WITH THE DATA
BIOTECHNOLOGY THAT MAY HAVE
NECESSARY TO MAKE
ADVERSE EDDECTS ON BIOLOGICAL
INFORMED DECISIONS
DIVERSITY, TAKING ALSO INTO
BEFORE AGREEING TO THE
ACCOUNT RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH.
IMPORT OF SUCH
ORGANISMS INTO THEIR
TERRITORY.
 THE PHILIPPINES RECOGNIZES THE
TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE OF PARTICULAR
HELP FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT.
SINCE THE PHILIPPINES IS ONE OF THE
BIODIVERSITY “HOTSPOTS” IN THE WORLD, IT
IS HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW BIOTECHNOLOGY
WILL PROGRESS IN THE COUNTRY
GENETICALLY MODIFIED GOLDEN RICE FALLS SHORT
ON LIFESAVING PROMISES (GERRY EVERDING)

HERALDED ON THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE IN 2000 AS A

GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GMO) CROP WITH THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE MILLIONS OF
LIVES IN THE THIRD WORLD, GOLDEN RICE IS STILL YEARS AWAY FROM FIELD
INTRODUCTION AND EVEN THEN ,MAY FALL SHORT OF LOFTY HEALTH BENEFITS
STILL CITED REGULARLY BY GMO ADVOCATES, SUGGESTS A NEW STUDY FROM
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST.LOUIS.

“GOLDEN RICE IS STILL NOT READY FOR THE MARKET BUT WE FIND
LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE COMMON CLAIM THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR STALLING ITS INTRODUCTION.GMO OPPONENTS HAVE NOT BEEN
THE PROBLEM” SAID LEAD AUTHOR GLENN STONE..
 FIRST CONCEIVED IN THE 1980s AND A FOCUS OF RESEARCH SINCE 1992,
GOLDEN RICE HAS BEEN A LIGHTNING ROD IN THE BATTLE OVER GENETICALLY
MODIFIED CROPS.

GMO ADVOCATES HAVE LONG TOUTED THE INNOVATION AS A PRACTICAL

WAY TO PROVIDE POOR FARMERS IN REMOTE AREAS WITH A SUBSISTENCE CROP
CAPABLE OF ADDING MUCH-NEEDED VITAMIN A TO LOCAL DIETS. A PROBLEM IN
MANY POOR COUNTRIES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH, VITAMIN A DEFICIENCIES LEAVE
MILLIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR INFECTION, DISEASES AND OTHER MALADIES SUCH AS
BLINDNESS.

SOME ANTI GMO GROUPS VIEW GOLDEN RICE AS AN OVER-HYPED TROJAN

HORSE THAT BIOTECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONS AND THEIR ALLIES HOPE WILL PAVE
THE WAY FOR THE GLOBALAPPROVAL OF OTHER MORE PROFITABLE GMO CROPS.
READING EXERCISE
WILL YOU EAT GMOs? WHY OR WHY NOT?