Is Genetically Modified Food Safe? Seeking Information and Opinions

[Dooga Blackrazor]

Does anyone know where I can find information on Genetically Modified Food? Preferably information that presents biological explanations such as - the pesticides react with certain cells causing damage because of...

Also, I'm interested in opinions on this issue. Should we use any Genetically Modified Food?

 

[tumor]

Should we use it? we are already eating gm food.
In N.America unlike in Europe people will buy into gm food because it is cheap,who cares about some genes to average uneducated Joe.

 

[russ_watters]

Preferably information that presents biological explanations such as - the pesticides react with certain cells causing damage because of...

Explanations of what? That sentence doesn't make any sense.

Also, I'm interested in opinions on this issue. Should we use any Genetically Modified Food?

It is the overwealming opinion of the scientific community that GM food is a good thing. It must be pointed out that virtually all of the food you eat has been genetically modified in some way, even if only through hybridization - and a significant percentage (upwards of half, depending on what you eat), contains directly genetically altered ingredients.

For info, you can Google, but I strongly caution you to consider the source of what you read. There is an extrordinary amount of false information being spread on the subject by devious "environmentalists."

THIS link contains a lot of facts, but no opinions on safety and is good for just getting some history on the subject.

 

[iansmith]

Hope this is what you want.

The pesticide introduce into GMO is called Bt and it is protein produced by a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. The gene encoding the toxin is called cry and this gene was inserted into plant genome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bt

Fact sheet about Bt

Facts about Bacillus thuringiensis
http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/microbes/bt.htm

Mode of Action

The toxic crystal Bt protein in commercial formulations is only effective when eaten by insects with a specific (usually alkaline) gut pH and the specific gut membrane structures required to bind the toxin. Not only must the insect have the correct physiology and be at a susceptible stage of development, but the bacterium must be eaten in sufficient quantity. When ingested by a susceptible insect, the protein toxin damages the gut lining, leading to gut paralysis. Affected insects stop feeding and die from the combined effects of starvation and tissue damage. Bt spores do not usually spread to other insects or cause disease outbreaks on their own as occurs with many pathogens.

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/pathogens/bacteria.html

 

[Dooga Blackrazor]

Thanks to everyone. Basically anything on the topic is helpful.

To Russ: Sorry about the poor explanation. I was saying I was looking for what causes GMF to be bad or good in certain instances. For a hypothetical example: Chemical B is bad and should be banned because in humans with O blood type it causes the dominant Rh+ to become - resulting in death because of reasons...
- An unlogical situation, but an example.

Basically I'm looking for biological logic to back up arguments. Most sites just say something is wrong because of health affects, not why those health affects are caused.