%0 Journal Article
%T Genetically Modified Plants: Public and Scientific Perceptions
%A Smita Rastogi Verma
%J ISRN Biotechnology
%D 2013
%R 10.5402/2013/820671
%X The potential of genetically modified plants to meet the requirements of growing population is not being recognized at present. This is a consequence of concerns raised by the public and the critics about their applications and release into the environment. These include effect on human health and environment, biosafety, world trade monopolies, trustworthiness of public institutions, integrity of regulatory agencies, loss of individual choice, and ethics as well as skepticism about the real potential of the genetically modified plants, and so on. Such concerns are enormous and prevalent even today. However, it should be acknowledged that most of them are not specific for genetically modified plants, and the public should not forget that the conventionally bred plants consumed by them are also associated with similar risks where no information about the gene(s) transfer is available. Moreover, most of the concerns are hypothetical and lack scientific background. Though a few concerns are still to be disproved, it is viewed that, with proper management, these genetically modified plants have immense potential for the betterment of mankind. In the present paper, an overview of the raised concerns and wherever possible reasons assigned to explain their intensity or unsuitability are reviewed. 1. Introduction Genetically modified (GM) plants, also called transgenic plants, are designed to acquire useful quality attributes such as insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, abiotic stress tolerance, disease resistance, high nutritional quality, high yield potential, delayed ripening, enhanced ornamental value, male sterility, and production of edible vaccines. Another major goal for raising the GM plants is their application as bioreactors for the production of nutraceuticals, therapeutic agents, antigens, monoclonal antibody fragments biopolymers, and so forth [1]. Thus, GM plants can potentially affect many aspects of modern society, including agricultural production and medical treatment. Despite these potential applications, the use of GM plants for human welfare has been restricted owing to various concerns raised by the public and the critics. These concerns are divided into different categories, namely, health, nutritional, environmental, ecological, socioeconomic, and ethical concerns [2¨C25]. These concerns include those arising due to properties of GM plants themselves, those resulting from the spread of the transgenes to other organisms, and also those resulting from their release into the environment. Such concerns have led to the withdrawal of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.biotechnology/2013/820671/