Strawberries with Pineapple Genes: Why GMOs Are Used in Agriculture
Before we explain why pineapple genes are added to strawberries, it's worth finding out what GMOs are in the first place.
According to Regina Gurina, a candidate of agricultural sciences, GMOs are organisms in which the genetic material has been modified using genetic engineering technologies.
Simply put, scientists extract a gene from the DNA of one organism and insert it into the genome of another.
For example, a scorpion gene is added to tomatoes – thanks to this gene, a protein toxic to insects is produced, which protects tomatoes from pests and, thus, reduces the amount of pesticides used.
Reasons for using GMOs in agriculture
GMOs are used to reduce losses and increase yields of cultivated crops – if you add the gene of a certain bacterium to corn, it will become more resistant to drought.
Foods are modified when their nutritional properties need to be improved. If you add a pineapple gene to strawberries, they will have more bromelain, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
GMOs are also used to increase the shelf life of foods.
Earlier we talked about why in the USSR they allocated plots of 6 acres .
