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ARTICLE: Dispelling GMO Myths with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, and More

The following is an excerpt of an article on the Inquisitr website dispelling some of the myths about GMOs and our food. 

Every day, we see ads of products boasting the term “Non-GMO.” The problem is that most people do not fully get what GMO means. Are they really bad for us? Why are they being vilified? Understanding the nomenclature of this modern agricultural tool is essential to making sure the public is informed when it comes to these important food modifications brought about by bioengineering and they are responding based on fact, not emotion.

What Are GMOs?

It is difficult to find a general definition of GMO that won’t be taken as politicized, but Dictionary.com states: “The abbreviation for genetically modified organism. A GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there. Note: A high percentage of food crops, such as corn and soybeans, are genetically modified.”

Genetic engineering is meant to create better, more resilient and lower maintenance crops. The genes of one species are extracted and artificially put into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal. The foreign genes may come from various sources including, but not limited to, other plants, bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans.

Rosanne Rust, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author from Northwest, Pennsylvania, had this to say about the definition of GMOs.

“GMOs come from modifying the genes of a plant or animal by inserting one targeted gene that possesses a desired trait into the other organism.” She added, “This highly specific process can help an organism stay healthy by preventing disease or malformation, or it may enhance the organism’s positive traits.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.