2. What is genetic engineering?

In traditional forms of breeding, variety has been achieved by selecting from the multitude of genetic traits that already exist within a species` gene pool. In nature, genetic diversity is created within certain limits. A rose can be crossed with a different kind of rose, but a rose will never cross with a mouse. Even when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding the offspring are usually infertile. For example, a horse can mate with an ass, but the offspring, a mule, is sterile. These boundaries are essential to the integrity of any species.

In contrast to traditional breeding, genetic engineering involves taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to transfer a desired trait or character. For example, selecting a gene which leads to the production of a chemical with antifreeze properties from an arctic fish (such as the flounder) and splicing it into a tomato or strawberry to make it frost-resistant. It is now possible for plants to be engineered with genes taken from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans.

It has been suggested that, because we have been modifying the genes of plants and animals for thousands of years, genetic engineering is simply an extension of traditional breeding practices. Although it is true that the food crops we are eating today bear little resemblance to the wild plants from which they originated, there are clear differences between genetic engineering and traditional breeding.

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