Why GMOScience Kids?
The food we eat affects our health, especially as we grow and develop. That’s why it’s so important to understand genetically modified organisms (GMOs), what they are, how they’re made, and how they impact our bodies and the environment. GMOs are found in many common foods, from corn and soy to processed snacks, yet most people don’t fully understand all of their effects including those that are harmful. Learning about GMOs helps you make informed choices about what you eat, how food is grown, and what’s best for both your health and the planet. Whether you support or question GMOs, having the knowledge to think about them objectively and analytically are the keys to shaping the future of food! Doing our homework together benefits everyone!
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GMOScience Kids is in the process of being developed based on your comments and questions, so stay tuned!
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EducationLesson 1: Genetic Basics for Kids
Introduction:
- What is the study of genetics?
- What are genes and chromosomes?
- What are genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/genetics/353170
What is the study of genetics?
- Genetics is the study of heredity, or how different features are passed from parents to their offspring or kids.
- The offspring may have look like their parents but can vary also.
- Genetics explains how the offspring get some of the features of the parents and not others.
What are genes and chromosomes?
- Genes are the basic units of heredity.
- They live inside cells that make up living things.
- They carry information that will make up the individual or plant.
- Thread-like structures called chromosomes carry the genes.
- Each chromosome is made of a substance called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
- The genes are short sections of DNA.
What are genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
- Organisms are plants, animals, bacteria or viruses.
- GMOs are organisms that have had their DNA changing using scientific tools.
- Scientists take the trait of one organism and inject it into the DNA of another organism’s DNA to change it.
- GMOs are mostly used to change foods like fruits and vegetables (crops). The crops are given traits from other organisms that are not harmed from pesticides.
- Pesticides are chemicals that kill weeds, insects or fungi.
- When the GMO plant is sprayed with pesticides, only the weeds or the insects die.
