Genetic Modification Organism (GMO)

What is Genetic Modification Organism?

    A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species.

Genetically modified organisms ( GMO’s) is a term most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest biotechnology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well.

Advantages of Genetic Modification Organism:

·      Genetically engineered organisms such as crops are given traits such as bigger seeds or better resistance to pests.

·       With animals, they might give it genes to grow fatter or produce more milk.

·      Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to diseases.

·       In embryos, defective genes can be removed.

Disadvantage of Genetic Modification Organism:

·      Genetic modifications results in formation of Transgenic plants and animals. So there may be a chance of loss of Genetic diversity upon wide use of this process on particular species, if care is not taken to preserve genetic material of the original organisms.

·      Artificial Genetic modifications of a desired organism may results in simultaneous Natural Genetic (or other) modifications of a undesired organism. For example, on modifying a plant to be resistant to a particular disease causing organism, the latter may acquire natural variations which may enable it to infect other plant species not previously infected.