Imagine bananas which produce human vaccines against hepatitis B or fish that mature 2 times as quickly as they do now. With genetic modification or "biotechnology," these possibilities are all on the science world's horizon.

What is Genetic Modification Anyhow?

The transfer of a gene from one organism to another is called genetic engineering. The trait that the gene is responsible for is engineered into the cells of another organism. The future of vaccines, antibiotics and food safety is being placed into the arms of genetic transplants scientifically called transgenics.

According to the Human Genome Project, in 2003 about 167 million acres in 18 countries grown by seven million farmers were planted with transgenic crops. Principally, these crops were herbicide and insecticide-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. Other crops that are grown are rice with an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A) to alleviate the common issue of blindness in developing countries as well as tobacco and potato plant seedlings that are able to tolerate unexpected frost due their introduction to an antifreeze gene from cold water fish.

Genetically Modified Organisms Controversy

In 2003, the U.S. grew 63% of the global transgenic crops. Though supporters of this technology offer dramatic promises of using our foods to combat the greatest health challenges of our century, their adversaries, particularly the Organic Consumers Association, believe it to be an infant science with infinite health risks