For thousands of years, humans have selectively chosen and preserved the best plants, crossed pollinating plants with diverse qualities, or bred plants for desirable traits like drought resistance or a sweeter fruit. However, a new technique has emerged since the 1980s: directly introducing genetic material from one plant (or, in certain situations, from a bacterium or virus) into the genes of another plant to create a superior specimen. Corn, soybeans, canola, cotton and potatoes are some of the most popular genetically modified crops.
Genetic modification (GM) is a technology in which an organism's genome is altered with DNA. Plant cells are injected with fresh DNA to create a genetically modified plant. The cells are typically produced in tissue culture from which they sprout into plants. These plants will develop seeds, and those seeds will carry the modified DNA.
All living things have traits that stem from their genetic composition and how it interacts with its surroundings. An organism's genome, which is composed of DNA in all plants and animals, is its genetic composition. Genes are sections of DNA found in the genome that often include the instructions needed to make proteins. The traits of the plant are derived from these proteins.
For instance, genes that carry the instructions for forming proteins involved in manufacturing the pigments that colour petals control the colour of flowers.
Plants can be genetically modified by inserting a particular DNA sequence into their genome to confer new or distinct traits. This can entail altering the plant's growth pattern or conferring disease resistance on it. The GM plant's genome, which is present in the seeds these plants generate, incorporates the new DNA.
Agricultural improvement has been greatly aided by genetic engineering and plant transformation, which introduce advantageous foreign genes or suppress the expression of endogenous genes in agricultural plants. Abiotic stress tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, herbicide tolerance, and improved nutrition are just a few of the beneficial characteristics that genetically modified crops have. Almost 525 distinct transgenic events involving 32 crops have been given the go-ahead for global production thus far. It has been demonstrated that the deployment of transgenic technology can lower crop production costs, boost crop yields, and minimise the need for pesticides and insecticides as well as CO2 emissions.
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