Quote:Genetic engineering is a collection of laboratory techniques used to isolate and combine the genetic material of any species, and then to multiply the constructs in convenient cultures of bacteria and viruses in the laboratory. Most of all, the techniques allow genetic material to be transferred between species that would never interbreed in nature. That is how human genes can be transferred into pig, sheep, fish and bacteria; and spider silk genes end up in goats. Completely new, exotic genes are also being introduced into food and other crops.

In order to overcome natural species barriers limiting gene transfer and maintenance, genetic engineers have made a huge variety of artificial vectors (carriers of genes) by combining parts of the most infectious natural vectors – viruses, plasmids and transposons - from different sources. These artificial vectors generally have their disease-causing functions removed or disabled, but are designed to cross wide species barriers, so the same vector may now transfer, say, human genes spliced into the vector, to the genomes of all other mammals, or of plants. Artificial vectors greatly enhance horizontal gene transfer

M.Helen Wrote:interesting, but how in the world genetically modified products can generate diseases? When elaborating them, this must be taken in consideration. Only the best specialists can deal it.

Quote:Genetically modified products, and the right and ability of countries to regulate these products and trade, including imports, are also looming as a major trade issue -- with the United States backing its powerful corporations, and trying to use the WTO rules to force acceptance of these products, using scientifically questionable concepts like 'substantial equivalence', and asking those objecting to prove they are unsafe.

Quote: * GMOs can survive or transfer their transgenes to indigenous organisms;

* DNA is more stable than has been hitherto imagined;

* the DNA taken up with the food is not completely degraded in the gastro-intestinal tract, but has rather been found to enter white blood cells and spleen and liver cells; and

* DNA can even be transferred to the cells of foetuses, as has been shown in new-born mice - where transfer probably took place via the placenta.

Steven Wrote:GMO will make farmers go bankrupt. Thas is because not every farmer has the possibility to spend sources for these experiments. Giant companies will swallow them.