Environmental Effects of
Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically modified organisms have been developed for many reasons. Crops have been developed to be pest resistant and drought tolerant with improved nutrition (For more information on the improved nutrition of GMO, click here). Fish have been developed to reach maturity faster. Medicines and vaccines from genetically engineered plants are being heavily researched (Click here to read about this topic from another amazing website). As with all new developments, there is always speculation as to if the benefits outweigh the costs.

  Transgenic salmon are still confined in labs, and have not yet been approved for the market partially because of the Trojan gene hypothesis. (Read the article here.)
(Permission pending from BBC News, 1999)    

GMOs affect the environment in various ways. In this website we will be discussing the positive effects of GMOs, such as; ecological conservation and bioremediation. We will also have information on the negative effects of GMOs on the environment, such as; toxicity to the environment, gene transfer, and insecticide resistance.

Golden rice has been modified to contain more of the vitamin beta-carotene, to act as a supplement.  
    Permission pending from Rao, 2003.

 

Read Kevin's Paper on the Environmental Effects of Bt Crops
Read Helen's Paper on GM Environmental Conservation
Read Chris's Paper on Bioremediation

 

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This website was created by
Kevin Saunders, Helen Nguyen, and Chris Wrobleski
as part of an undergraduate assignment at Davidson College.

Send questions or comments to chwrobleski@davidson.edu.

© Copyright 2004 Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035.