Harvest of Fear

Activity 1: Should we Grow GM Crops?

1. What is a GM Crop.

A GM crop is a crop that has been genetically modified to look different or taste better in some way.

2. List 2 arguments FOR the growing of GM crops
1. What if you knew that proponents assert that GM foods will promise many health benefits?

2. What if you knew that GM patrons insist that farmers will reap great benefits from biotechnology?

3. List 2 arguments AGAINST the growing of GM crops.
1. What if you knew that detractors fear that GM foods might pose health risks for certain people?

2. What if you knew that many feel GM crop technology will hurt small farmers?

Activity 2: Engineer a Crop

4. Practice this simulation until you get the largest ears of corn. How many times did it take you?

It took me 3 times.

Activity 3: What’s for Dinner?

5. List two foods and desribe how they are being modified.

are being modified into edible vaccines for diseases such as polio... hepatitis.... there's really an endless selection. And this will all be edible, so that you won't have to use a needle, and that's always a nice feature.

is being modified to make the cheese-making process speed up. They are making wheat more digestible and they are making the vegetables on the pizza stay fresh longer in supermarkets.

Activity 4: Viewpoints

Do you think food should be labeled if it has been genetically modified? Why or Why not?

I don't really think it matters if it's labeled or not. It's food, and it really does say what's in it already in the ingredients section of the packaging. The producers of this food have a right to label it or not, so if they want to they will.

... Have a nice day!

Epigenetics

Epigenome

Visit the learn.genetics website and visit each of the following sections on the epigenome. Record your information in your genetics reflection blog.

IDENTICAL TWINS: PINPOINTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE EPIGENOME

1. The environment they live in effects their epigenome, because if one is effected by one thing and one is affected by another thing, the result will be different. It's pretty much like this; change one thing change everything.

2. The way your parents treat you will affect your epigenome. Also, your diet will affect it, and your sleeping habits. Mostly just your habits in general.

3. An imprinted gene is an epigenetic tag that remains when the egg is fertilized and most of the epigenetic tags are removed.

YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME

I play a lot of video-games. If I did something else for fun like maybe exercise, then I might change my epigenome. I usually eat healthy but let's just say if I sat around eating chips all day rather than eating fruit, something bad might happen. I'll be okay for now, meanwhile back in the future I could be obese.

LICK YOUR RATS

1. The GR gene basically unwraps itself the more it receives nurture, so that it can be read.

2. In rats, being licked by the mother activates her pup's GR gene.

3. The GR gene basically unwraps itself the more it receives nurture, so that it can be read.

4. The rat nurturing example shows us how parental behavior can shape the behavior of their offspring on a biochemical level. If you are a very social person, then you will have good people skills and you'll deal better in certain situations. If you are an antisocial person then you will not do good in said situations and you will fail.

NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME

1. If you spend your time eating cake and cookies and smoking cigarettes then you will be very different from a person who only eats carrots and beets. The person who eats healthier will be stronger and more able in certain areas. The person who eats unhealthy will probably die. It's true.

2. This is seen all over the world every day. If a mother does drugs while the baby is in the womb then the baby will be mutated and deformed. If the mother eats fruits and vegetables then the baby will be healthy.

EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN

1. If you spend your time eating cake and cookies and smoking cigarettes then you will be very different from a person who only eats carrots and beets. The person who eats healthier will be stronger and more able in certain areas. The person who eats unhealthy will probably die. It's true.

2. "This is seen all over the world every day. If a mother does drugs while the baby is in the womb then the baby will be mutated and deformed. If the mother eats fruits and vegetables then the baby will be healthy."--Derek Johnson