Genetic modification
Genetic modification is defined as changing the genes of a living organism using the modern biotechnology. This can be done to an animal or a plant. Genetic modification is also known as genetic engineering or genetic manipulation. A plant or an animal that has been changed using genetic engineering is known as a genetically modified organism. Traditional breeding of animals and plants had an aim of tailoring the organisms for specific application. For instance a new bred crop may be tolerant to drought or more resistant to certain genetic disorders.
The traditional breeding process involves selecting certain traits in an organism, you should choose an individual with favorable traits and breed it with another with favorable traits. This aims that the result of the cross will have traits inherited from both parents. In reality the bred organism takes traits that are good and bad from the parents, if you keep breeding the negative traits are eliminated and only the positive are left.
The final plant after the inter breeding is expected to have only the positive traits, these traits will have been inherited from all its ancestors. He will have inherited all the associated genes from its ancestors. Traditional breeding ensured all the negative traits are not transferred to the genetically modifies organism, it breeds out negative traits and only desirable genes are left.
The modern genetic modification is normally used because the way it changes genes is not possible in traditional breeding. It provides new traits instantly unlike in traditional breeding where the process had to be repeated more than once. Genetic modification involves taking genes from one organism and putting them into another. For instance genetically modified insect resistant cotton has a gene that has been inserted in it from a soil bacteria to ensure it is naturally insect resistant. This Genetically modified cotton has led to reduced use of pesticide by 80% in Australia.
This is however not always the case, not all genetically modified organisms are made as a result of inserting another organism’s genes. It can also occur by changing an organism’s own genes. For instance this can be done by gene silencing which turns down the gene’s activity in an organism, for example in oilseeds it is used to turn down production of oils that are unhealthy. Genetic modification is also used for research this helps to discover new traits in organisms. Genetic modification organisms are being used all over the world today to make sure that people no longer lack food to eat e.g. in areas that do not have enough rainfall draught resistant plants are being planted to curb hunger. They are also used to come up with animals that have more desirable traits.