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New proteins in GM foods → might cause allergies → in humans that consume them. Needs to be more studies on how GM food can affect human health
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Some biotech companies → have engineered crop plants → such that these plants → produce seeds that cannot germinate. Means that farmers have to buy special seeds from these companies every year. Poses serious problem to poorer societies → where farmers are struggling to make living
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Animals → often used → in medical research → to study diseases.
- e.g. → oncomouse is transgenic mouse → into which gene that causes cancer has been introduced. mouse develops cancer for use in testing potential cancer drugs. When doing such research →considerations for welfare of animals should be made.
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Some people may deliberately create new combinations of genes → which may be used in chemical or biological warfare.
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Genes that code for antibiotic resistance → may be used in genetic engineering. there is concern that such genes might accidentally → be incorporated into bacteria → that causes diseases to humans → making antibiotics ineffective in treating these diseases.
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Genetic engineering → may not be equally accessible to everyone. Only individuals with sufficient financial means can afford certain gene technologies.