as well. They have been able to genetically modify plants to help them survive longer and
produce better food, flowers, or fragrance depending on what they want enhanced.
Genetically Modified foods have become more common in recent years. It was mostly
grains that have been engineered with genes from non-grain species that make the plants
resist insects or tolerate pesticides. So a farmer can spray his crops with a pesticide and
have it kill everything in its field except his harvest. There are some problems with this,
such as allergies in humans. Scientists have yet to figure out whether or not people can
develop allergies towards GMOs, but some people don t want to take the chance. The
pesticide resistant plants could jump to wild plants, creating super-weeds or could harm
valuable insects by making their food unfit to eat, such as the Monarch butterfly. The
Genetically Modified Atlantic and Pacific salmon are growing faster than normal salmon, if
the super-salmon were to escape from the production plantations, they could mate with
normal salmon and corrupt their whole genetic pool. There is also problems with patent
genetically modified plants, if a person suspects that his neighbor was stealing his
super-seeds, the only way to prove he s not is to spray his field. If the crop dies then he is
not stealing the crops, but he lost all that years harvest. If the crop lives, then the company
can sue the neighbor. So you can see that there is a number of problems that could arise
with releasing the GMOs. Some Health officials don t agree with Genetically Modified
foods, claiming that it is unhealthy and dangerous to humans and the environment, if not
properly controlled. Right now in Canada they are looking for better ways to control
GMOs and the sale of them. Officials believe that their will be a lot of problems with
GMOs and how people will react to them being on the shelf, they think that there will be
destruction of fields and food products just like the reaction in Europe last year.
(Articles #21,22,24)
After figuring out the genome of humans there is still Protenome, a complete
listing of the 250,000 or so proteins that the 35,000 genes are capable of making. Proteins
can vary in health and disease, and the long chains of amino acids do not string out but
curl up on themselves in complex 3D shapes, making it indefinitely harder to break the
code. Most of biology happens at the protein level, not the DNA level, Dr. Craig Venter
of Celera Genomics points out. Scientists not only have to figure out what the listing of
proteins is but how they change in disease and how they fold. This is dubbed the Greatest
unsolved problem in biology. (Article #27)
As you can see there is still a long way to go in finding out everything there is to
know about Genetics. But when we do find out everything about Genetics and the human
body, there is nothing left to the imagination, and a part of that will be sorely missed.
Bibliography:
1) Scientists read book of life , find it shorter than expected by: Malcolm Ritter February 12
2) Study finds gene linked to cause of blindness by: Andy Ogle February 2
3) Gene linked to wake-up by: Greg Lavine March 2
4) Vatican concerned over gene transplant into crops February 9
5) Dear Doctor by: Paul Donohue February 16
6) Dear Doctor by: Paul Donohue February 8
7) Dear Doctor by: Paul Donohue March 27
8) Leprosy gene code may aid treatment of malady February 26
9) Chip off old block not set in stone by: Jill Barker March 8
10) Fossil find reminder of Jurassic plot by: Jamal Halaby February 8
11) Jury hears DNA details by: Ellen van Wageningen April 19
12) DNA search yields suspect by: Ellen van Wageningen April 12
13) Guilty plea for man nabbed with DNA February 20
14) B.C man challenges new national DNA databank February 6
15) Hanratty s body exhumed for DNA testing in murder February 6
16) Gene helps alcohol boost heart health by: Linda Johnson February 22
17) Gene scientists turn leaves into flowers February 6
18) Skin cells turned into heart tissue by: Roger Highfield February 24
19) Human pig clones may be a reality in four years April 21
20) Longevity theory gets short shrift by: Bev Wake March 10
21) Panel raps biotech rules by: Tom Spears February 5
22) Health officials defend frankenfood practices February 6
23) Resistance to cloning futile, scientists say March 10
24) Spy Agency warns of bio-tech protests by: Jim Bonskill February 12
25) Genetics research gets a boost by: Allan Swift March 1
26) DNA mapping project links diabetic girl, MD by: Veronique Mandel February 13
27) Human mystery by: Nigel Hawkes February 17