After my post yesterday, a good friend asked what GMO's are. As I re-read my post I realized that in my haste (I wrote it totally off the cuff) I forgot to include an introductory paragraph explaining what I was talking about. Which is great, b/c now I get to dedicate a whole post to it! So, for those wondering, like my friend, what weird language I'm speaking, here's a brief non-professional definition. (note, that I am not a scientist, an agriculturist, nor a dietician. Any explanations and opinions expressed are solely mine and should not be taken as professional advice).
Frequently you'll see the term GMO or GM Foods (genetically modified foods).
GMO = genetically modified organism. The acronym can apply to plants, animals or microorganisms, but in recent debates it's generally referring to plants that are good products. Essentially, the latest molecular biology techniques are used to enhance desired traits and downplay undesirable trains by introducing a non-native gene into a new organism. The result is expression of a particular quality (such as drought resistance). One commonplace example is introducing natural pesticide properties into plants to enhance resistance to pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. In addition to drought tolerance and pest resistance, other examples are for herbicide tolerance (so that weeds can be sprayed without affecting the main crop), disease resistance, cold tolerance.
So there you have it, my brief completely unprofessional explanation of GMO's. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit:
Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/biotech/bbasics.nsf/index
and Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques.
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