Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are produced by introducing new genetic sequences into the nuclear DNA of animals or into the nuclear or chloroplast DNA of plants, using one of several biotechnology processes. The aim of genetic modification is to induce the expression of new traits in the target organism. Unlike selective breeding, genetic modification enables the transfer of traits between sexually incompatible species. The first GMOs were produced in laboratories in 1972, and the first GMO food designed for human consumption, the Flavr Savr tomato, was licensed for sale in the United States in 1994. By 2009, 134 million hectares were planted with genetically modified crops worldwide, mostly in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. The rapid rise of GMOs has taken place in ...

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