Genetically-engineered and genetically-modified foods and food plants
by James K. Sayre
Copyright 2003. All Rights Reserved.
A short glossary of genetic engineering (GE) and genetically modified (GM) definitions:
allele - any of a group of possible mutational forms of a gene.
allelic - adjectival form of allele.
chromosome - a DNA-containing linear body of the cell nuclei of plants and animals, responsible for the determination and transmission of hereditary characteristics.
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid - A polymeric chromosomal constituent of living cell nuclei, consisting of two long chains of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine, each of which projects towards the axis of the strands where it is bonded in a sequence that determines individual hereditary characteristics.
frankenfoods - a pejorative term, used to desecribe GM foods an allusion to their being made of parts of different plants and animals all cobbled together. It is probably more commonly heard in Europe.
GE - genetic engineering - the directed alteration of genetic material by intervention in genetic processes, especially applied to gene-splicing.
gene - a functional hereditary unit that occupies a fixed position on a chromosome, that has a a specific influence on phenotype and that is capable of mutation to various allelic forms.
gene-splicing - any of various techniques by which recombinant DNA is produced and is made to function in an organism.
GM - genetically modified - a plant or animal that has undergone genetic engineering.
GMO - genetically modified organism - any plant or animal that has received genetically-modified (foreign) genes.
in vitro - outside the living body and in an artificial environment - from Modern Latin, literally "in glass" referring to work done in a glass test tube.
organism - any living plant or animal.
phenotype - the environmentally and genetically determined observable appearances of an organism, especially as considered with respect to all possible genetically influenced expressions of one specific character.
recombinant DNA - genetically engineered DNA prepared in vitro by cutting up DNA fragments and splicing together specific fragments usually from more than one species of organism.
RNA - ribonucleic acid - a universal polymeric constituent of all living cells, consisting of a single-stranded chain of alternating phosphate and ribose units with the bases adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil bonded to the ribose, the structure and base sequence of which are determinants of protein synthesis.
transgenic - plants which include genetic modifications.
US FDA - United States Food
and Drug Administration - this is the executive branch of the U S. federal
government that regulates genetically modified foods.
End.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please feel free to Email the author at sayresayre@yahoo;com. sayresayre@yahoo.com
This web page was recently created by James Sayre.
Contact author James K. Sayre at sayresayre@yahoo.com. Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com
Copyright 2003 by Bottlebrush Press. All Rights Reserved.
Web page last updated on 23 June 2003.