(noun. /jeh-NET-icklee mAWd-if-eyed ORGan-ism/)
by Mikayla Feldbauer
What does it mean?
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose DNA has been altered through genetic techniques. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, in order to be classified as a GMO, the genome has to be directly modified by humans. Therefore, this definition does not include organisms created by selective breeding. These days, it is most common to hear the term used to describe genetically modified crops. Scientists give these crops the gene for a certain desired trait and then breed them to make newer versions of the plant that have the desired trait.
There are many reasons why scientists might want to produce a GMO crop. For example, genetically modifying crops can help meet global demand for food. Crops can be modified to increase yield, to be resistant to a certain insect or disease, to have more nutritional value, or even to turn brown more slowly.
It should be noted that humans have been modifying crops via selective breeding for thousands of years. New genetic techniques used to create GMOs increase the speed and accuracy of this process.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“One example of a GMO is golden rice. Golden rice has been genetically modified to produce beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A once consumed by humans. This rice could help prevent vitamin A deficiency, which is prevalent among children in some African and South Asian countries and can cause eye problems as severe as permanent blindness.”
