ogies. In exploring the science and current impacts of genetic modification, it becomes clear that risks are being taken today which may have detrimental effects in the future, effects that current proponents of genetically modified food did not predict and that we would not desire.
A thorough understanding of the issues surrounding genetically modified food requires a basic understanding of the science behind genetic modification. In today's linguistic interpretation, a genetically modified food is one that has the genetic information from another type of plant, animal, fungus, bacteria, or virus inserted into it (Judson, 2001, pp. 24-25). The other organism's genetic information (DNA) can be put into the cells of the food plant or animal because all DNA is made of the same material, whether it comes from a virus, tomato, sheep, human or any other organism. It would likely surprise many people to know that many crops are currently or are in the research stages of having genes from animals, viruses, and bacteria melded with the plant's genetic material. This may pose holistic or religious issues for some; for instance, as more genes are mixed between species to improve crops, a vegetarian who eats a soy burger may be ingesting genes that come from a pig.
Beyond issues of public perception of food, understanding the science behind genetic modification can help us understand possible implications for human health. Genes, or pieces of DNA, form a code that tells a cell within an organism what proteins to make. More than just a component of muscles, proteins are also the cell's engineers (Sneddon, 2003, pp. 7 & 45). Vital proteins called enzymes build the components that make a cell function. By specifying which genes are put into our food, we are telling a plant or animal which enzymes to make. Si
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