Debate Reflection

I believe that in my debate, I prepared myself accordingly. I didn't write a speech, because I have trouble with reading directly off paper. In making eye contact with my audience, I lose my place on the paper and then have to pause and find it, etc. It's just inconvenient for me. Instead, I set a bulleted list of my points in front of me and was able to use them as cues from which I could refer back to my research. My total points were 14/16, which I think is fair when compared to my performance. My opponent, Lea Cenname, was well prepared, as well. She provided a good rebuttal with points including: allergies to the chemicals that are used to modify the crops, insects becoming immune to different pesticides in eating the crops, chemicals combining and creating harmful health threats in humans and animals, etc. These points evolved into a good discussion that included several other classmates. I learned a lot through this debate, and I've developed my own opinion of genetically modified food-crops, apart from the standpoint that I was assigned.

Creature Creation

In lab, we created a creature that fit the following guidelines:
1. Two single allele traits
2. One codominant trait
3. One multiple allele trait
4. One sex-linked trait
5. One trait of incomplete dominance
For my creature, I chose:
1. a) Eyelash length [L(ong), l(short)]
b) a horn [H(orn), h(no horn)]
2. Eyecolor [BB(lue), GG(reen)]
3. Color that the creatures glows [YY(ellow), PP(urple)]
4. Sparkles [X']
5. Color [RR(ed), WW(hite)]
My creature's genotype is:
LLHhBGPPX'YRW
Homozygous dominant for eyelashes, heterozygous dominant for a horn, codominant for eyecolor, displays the sparkles gene, incomplete dominance for color.

Argument Points

• Genetically modified (GM) foods increase the amount of production.
• Modified crops eliminate the need for chemical pesticides, making healthier, pest-resistant food sources.
• GM foods require less herbicides, which cut costs and create a healthier mixture of necessary external chemicals.
• Scientists are creating crops that are resistant to common plant diseases, such as fungi and bacteria.
• Certain crops, such as tobacco and potatoes, have been spliced with the natural antifreeze genes from some kinds of fish in order to avoid the toll of frosts on the plants.
• Plants are also being modified to be compatible with droughts, high amounts of salt, or excessive water within the soil.
• Some foods can be nutritionally improved through genetic engineering creating more incentive to allow lesser restrictions on research.
• There have been sciences that have gone as far as putting edible medicines in different vegetables that can be supplied to countries with limited pharmaceutical medical supplies.

Sources

1. Prentice Hall, page 330

2. http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

3. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pusztai.html

4. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/sakko.html

5. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/altieri.html