Genetic modification

Genetic modification changes an organism’s genetic material by removing, changing or inserting individual genes. Genes contain instructions for making proteins. Changing the genes an organism has can therefore change the proteins it makes, alter its characteristics or enable it to produce a desired protein.

Genetic modification of bacteria

A human gene can be inserted into a bacterium. The bacterium can then use the gene’s instructions to produce the human protein. For example, bacteria can be genetically modified to produce human insulin.

Genetic modification of crop plants

Genes can be inserted into crop plants to give them useful characteristics. For example, a gene may make a crop resistant to a herbicide, so the crop can survive when that herbicide is applied. Another gene may give a crop resistance to insect pests, reducing the damage they cause.

Genes can also be inserted to improve a crop’s nutritional qualities, such as by increasing the amount of a useful nutrient it produces.