Team:Tec-Monterrey/teamha/onlinearticles/english

Myth: Biotechnological modifications of crops and foods are very different from traditional methods.
Reality: Biotechnology has helped the traditional agricultural methods. In the last 10,000 years, people have used their knowledge to improve food production. Farmers used to cross their plant to obtain features of interest. But this method was highly inaccurate since a lot of effort was placed in obtaining a desired feature.
Genetic modification is a more efficient and accurate tool that has allowed scientifics to find the specific gen they need for a particular trait. Later on, this gen could be cloned and introduced to a plant which would get the desirable characteristic.
It´s not that easy for the plant to express the desirable feature, even tough, genetic modification has allowed the next advances:

• Resistant plant to insects.
• Resistant stems for high wind
• Higher yields of production

To get more information, visit actionbioscience.org and read the article: Biotechnology in crops: Issues for the developing world, and Crop Biotechnology: Feeds for livestock from the university of California.


NOTE 5: Myth: The production of resistant crops to pests and weeds will create immune “super insects”.
Reality: There is no scientific study that suggests this scenario may happen as a result of a genetically engineered crop production. Even so, there are a plenty of systems to prevent this scenario: crop rotation, hybrid rotation, and pest integral manage. Insects and weeds are not the same as they were in the past, but biotechnology could potentially improve their management so they do not gain a resistant.
To get more info see: Crop rotation form Penn State university and the site oisat.org


NOTE 6
Myth: The long-term effects produced by biotechnological generated food are unknown.
Reality: A lot of years of research have allowed the scientists to know the enormous benefits biotechnological food provides. The scientific consensus says that the risks associated with foods derived from biotechnology are fundamentally the same for other foods. Current science shows that foods produced through biotechnology are safe for consumption and there are a plenty of regulatory authorities like the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and EPA have determined that these products are safe to enter the food supply.
To get more info visit the sites of FDA, EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture


Controversy on Stem Cells
Stem cells have been an object of interest in many biotechnology researchers on the last years. Stem cells have tremendous potential to treat tumors, tissue regeneration, diabetes, Parkinson, neuronal regeneration and hearth attacks. Stem cells are cells that can divide and differentiate into diverse cells types.
The main discussion around stem cells are because of their origin. In the beginning, they came from embryos which were destroyed after the cells were obtained. The problem is that life begins once the embryo is fertilized.
What most people don’t know is that there are different types of stem cells: Embryonic and Adult. The embryonic stem cells are obtained from a fertilized embryo; meanwhile, adult stem cells are obtained from other sources such as teeth, bone marrow and umbilical cords. These type of cells could be used to avoid controversy and they may also be used in therapeutic treatments.
To get more information, see the article: Las células madre embrionarias totipotenciales by Guzmán and Solís from UNAM Gaceta Biomédica 2006.