Genetic Engineering

            
             Genetically modified crops are not a good idea in society as they pose too many health risks among our society. My essay looks at the positive and negative impacts that genetically modifying foods would bring to us. My articles all clearly present the danger of this certain process and I found it very difficult to discover articles that agreed that genetically modifying foods was a good idea. .
             Are genetically modified crops and foods a good idea to introduce into society or is it too risky?.
             My Article - "Consequences of the Puszai study.".
             - Jill Davies - 23/3/99.
             The writer in this particular article is recounting a study performed to test a genetically modified food (potato in this case) on rats to see what happens. The product being used was a potato which had been engineered to express an insecticidal compound (lectin) from the snow drop plant. He then evaluated their metabolism and organ development. The "results astonished the scientist Dr Arpad Puszai". He was unaware that this lectin was toxic to mammals and had used it previously without this knowledge.
             Certain parts of the rats insides had been reduced in size such as the: intestine, pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs and brain. Increases occurred in the thymus, prostate and gastrocnemius muscle. There was evidence of intestinal infection which was thought to be a result of the (cauliflower mosaic virus) that was used as part of the vector to carry genes into the host.
             The writer of the article is obviously opposed to genetically modified crops as . She gives facts about the cost of genetically modifying crops and the fact that farmers will have excess stock that no one will want to buy because they have been turned off by the health risks of genetically modified foods. I believe if consumers are unsure of the products they are buying, they have every right to not purchase it until the product is clearly safe and will not be harmful to their health.