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How does biochemistry tie into the debate around genetic modification?

Garret McTerry

Biochemistry is all about studying the chemical reactions that take place inside living things. And genetic modification is when we change the genetic information of living things to make them better in some way.

So, biochemistry is really important when it comes to discussing genetic modification because it helps us understand how these changes might affect the living things we're modifying.

For example, let's say we want to make a crop plant resistant to a certain kind of insect. We might use genetic modification to give the plant a gene that produces a protein that repels those insects. But before we do that, we need to make sure that the new protein won't harm the plant or any other living things that might eat it. And that's where biochemistry comes in - it helps us understand the chemical reactions that might take place when the new protein interacts with other molecules in the plant or in the environment.

Another example where biochemistry comes into play is when we want to make sure that our new genetically modified organisms will be safe for us to eat. Biochemists can study the effects of different proteins and molecules on the human body, and help us make sure that the foods we're eating won't harm us.

So, in short, biochemistry is important for helping us understand how genetic modification might affect living things, and making sure that any changes we make will be safe for us and the environment.