Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

(From https://www.nongmoproject.org/)

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a living plant, animal or microorganism that has been subjected to biotechnology.

[...] The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with the most common being an organism altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.

(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism)

GMO developers use biotechnology to alter that living organism's fundamental characteristics. Biotechnology includes techniques such as using synthetic genetic sequences to change the organism's genetic material (i.e., DNA or RNA), or forcing the combination of very unrelated organisms that would not normally reproduce in nature.

In some genetic modifications, genes are transferred within the same species, across species (creating transgenic organisms), and even across kingdoms.

(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism)

When biotechnology is applied to a living organism, the result is a GMO. While GMOs are used across many industries, the main areas of concern are food, personal care products and animal feed.

Some examples of GMOs include:

• Corn containing bacterial genes that cause the plant to produce an insecticide
• Fast-growing Atlantic salmon with genes from a Chinook salmon and an ocean pout
• Soybeans with edited genes which increase the amount of oleic acid
• Hens with an inserted lethality gene that can kill their male offspring before they hatch