Student:

Course, Yr. & Block:

VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon 4707
1st Sem; 2022-2023

GE- STS (Science, Technology and Society)

MODULE 3: SPECIFIC ISSUES IN STS

This module discusses specific issues in Science, Technology and Society. Recent events as well as
potentialities are mentioned and elucidated on particularly in the four lessons: Information Age, Gene Therapy,
Biodiversity and the Healthy Society and the Nano World.

LEARNING CONTENTS:
 Lesson 1 The Information Age
 Lesson 2 Gene Therapy versus Stem Cell Therapy
 Lesson 3 The Role of Genes in Heredity
 Lesson 4 Biodiversity and Healthy Society
 Lesson 5 Genetically Modified Organisms
 Lesson 6 The Nano World

LESSON 1 – THE INFORMATION AGE

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. Trace the development of Information Age .
2. Learn how technology functions.
3. Appreciate its influence as people's lives.

LEARNING CONCEPTS

Introduction

The Information Age is considered a historic period in the 21 st century. Characterized by the
rapid shift from traditional industry, it is also called computer age, digital and the new media age. It is
marked by a very fast growth in communication and information technology. This age holds a significant
influence as educators and learners.

The invention of the computer which gave people access to information with the touch of a button.
The internet has tuned society into homebodies and individuals who do everything from the comfort of
their homes. People do their tasks only such as shopping, paying bills, working, education, entertainment
and ordering food.

Historical Development

The information age, also referred to as Computer Age and New Media Age, is a historic period
in the 21st Century characterized by the rapid shift from traditional industry.

It began around the 1970s and still going on today. This era brought about a time Period in which
people could access information and knowledge easily. As in the field of literature, the renaissance
influenced this age by creating the idea inventions that led to modern ones.

Information Age also referred to people, information and societies that chronicle the birth and
growth of electronic information from ancient times to Samuel Morse’s invention of the telegraph in the
1890s through the development of the telephone, radio, television and computers.
(http.//www.tcf.va.edu/az/thistory.outline.html).
There are four periods of the Information Age, namely:
 Pre-Mechanical - 3,000 BC 1450 A.D.
 Mechanical - 1450-1840
 Electro-Mechanical - 1840-1940
 Electronic/lnformation-1940-present

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 Some pioneers who belonged to these periods were Blaire Pascal, Alexander Graham Bell,
Steven Wozmak, Steven Jobs, Bill Gates.

Personal computers had become widespread by the end of the 1980s. They can be connected to
local or national networks. Through a device called the modem individual users could list their computers
to a wealth of information using conventional phone lines.

The internet was developed during the 1970s. In the early days, it was used mainly by scientists
to communicate with other scientists. At this time, the internet users’ problem was speed. The
development of the fiber-optic hastened the rate of sending message.

In the 1990s, the world wide web was developed mainly for commercial purposes. New services
were created to sell products. Now, airline tickets, hotel reservations, books and even cars and houses
can be purchased online. Colleges and universities would post research data on the internet so students
could find valuable information without leaving their homes.

Claude Shannon is regarded as the Father of the Information Age.

Living in the Information Age

Effects/lmpact

Technology is increasingly playing a crucial role in the success of organizations particularly in

school in this Information Age. The impact of IT has been enormous on various domains including
education. Computers and the information they process and store have transformed every aspect of the
society.

Since we live in the Information Age, IT has become a part of our everyday lives. There have
been tremendous changes in the ways people live work and play over the past three decades
(hitechplatform.blogspot.com/2011/04/most-important-effect-of-information.html) IT is composed of
computer, networks, mobile and wireless devices, satellite communications, robotics, videotext, cable
television, electronic mail (e-mail), electronic gadget and automated office equipment. Technological
innovation and entrepreneurship have been the key players in the changes that we experience.

Every day, we use technology in new ways. Computers are becoming increasingly affordable and
they continue to be more powerful as information processing tools. Some of the advantages of
Information Technology are:

1. Globalization - It has brought the world closer together, led to sharing information more
quickly and efficiently and enabled countries to share ideas and information with each
other.
2. Communication - It has made communication cheaper, quicker and more efficient. The
use of the internet opened face-to-face communication from different parts of the world.
3. Cost effectiveness - it has led to computerization of business processes and increased
productivity that gave more profits, better pay and better working conditions.
4. Creation of new jobs – It has led to the opening up of opportunity for computer
programmers, system analysts, hardware and software developers and web designers.

The Information Age has introduced changes in the different aspects of people's lives, because
of the following:

1. Emergence of online companies

2. Creation of economically and stimulating business
3. Mature and educated people
4. Reshaping of governments with new technologies
(https//history_of_technology.if.weebly.com)
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 SUMMARY

The Information Age

The Information Age also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age or New Media Age is a
historic period in the 21 st century. The idea it upholds is that access to and the control of information
is the defining characteristic of this current era in human civilization. The driving force behind changes
and new options given to us is an innovation called the Internet. Many possibilities are limitless and
convenience is greatly improved, new forms of communication were introduced. Educational
opportunities were greatly enhanced because of the wealth of knowledge now placed at the fingertips.

There may be those who do not favor this occurrence citing the creation of a technological
divide, the impersonal nature of electronic communication and the unregulated nature of the use of
internet. Regardless of these drawbacks, the world continues to becoming wired.

The Effects of Using the Facebook

By Anne Gelene Tobias-Domangsang

"Think about what people are doing on Facebook today. They are keeping up with their friends
and family, but they're also building an image and identity for themselves, which in a sense is their brand.
They're connecting with the audience what they want to connect to. It's almost a disadvantage if you're
not in a now," -Mark Zuckerberg.

With the advent and the continuous development of technology comes the Internet and the
emerging issues that it brings. According to the Internet World statistics, there are approximately
2,267,233,742 internet users worldwide in 2012. Today, it is no doubt that such number has dramatically
increased.

The purpose of the Internet has been changing from time to time. Decades ago, many people
used the Internet mainly to research and acquire relevant information that could be valuable in their fields
of study and life endeavors. It has also been used to communicate with people. Today, however, many
people use the Internet as their main source of entertainment and socialization. You can even bet that
many of these Internet users only go online to check their Facebook accounts.

It is important to learn that the Statistics Portal reports 1.44 billion monthly active Facebook users
as of the first quarter of 2015. Active users are defined as those have logged into Facebook during the
last 30 days. Interestingly, Facebook users in 2008 did not even reach a hundred million. But in the third
quarter 2012, the number of active Facebook users skyrocketed and surpassed 1 billion. Furthermore,
as of that quarter, the social network had 1.25 billion active mobile users.

A question remains, however: what is really the impact of Facebook in our world today?

The Facebook can be used to connect with people. Probably, all of us have found friends and
acquaintances that we would like to reconnect with in the Facebook. This has been one of the fastest
ways to chat and communicate with people all over the world. We can use this social network to invite
friends to an important event, inform people of significant news in our lives, and vice versa. This has also
been a very effective way to advertise business pursuits, look for job opportunities, validate the credibility
of a certain individual or organization, be informed about important world phenomenon, search for great
leisure places, find a great educational opportunity and many more.

However, if the Facebook, renders countless benefits, it may also cause danger to users who are
not cautious and alert. For example, adding strangers, fake accounts and untrustworthy acquaintances
on Facebook may cause threat on the individual and his or her family security. If not careful, one may
also be a victim of business and other organizational scams. Other people may even believe on
information and news from unreliable sources, and cause other people to be misled by sharing such
information. Pornography and other materials that are not appropriate for young people can be accessed
easily. Cyberbullying and persecution have caused many people pain and suffering. Sometimes,
opportunities for genuine face-to-face interaction are sacrificed, and precious time is wasted.

Kimberly S. Young's research study entitled "Internet Addiction: A New Clinical Phenomenon and
Its Consequences" in 2013, tackles very critical issues that happen in reality among Internet users, in
which she explains that the Internet has great effects, not just to the students and employees, but also to
family relationships. In fact, three surprising problems among users emerged after conducting the study:
1. cyber affair,
2. student internet abuse and
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 3. employee internet abuse.

Social media, specifically the Facebook, play a great role in such issues.

So, is the Facebook a blessing to the world of communications and social media? Or is it a cause
for worry among the guardians of societal ethics and morality? Is it a boon or a bane?

Well, as we reflect upon the impact of social media, it is important to remember that in the end, it
is still up to us whether to use social media to our advantage or, allow it to destroy us, The Facebook and
other social media can be very beneficial if used properly. It can help us connect with people and pursue
great opportunities. Pornography, cyberbullying, and other online scams will not be able to affect us if we
do not allow it to enter into our online lives. Because in the end, the nature of the internet is not really the
challenge - but the discipline of its users.

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LESSON 2 – GENE THERAPY VERSUS STEM CELL THERAPY

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. Define what a gene is
2. Differentiate gene therapy from stem cell therapy
3. Explain the importance of gene therapy in the future.
4. Demonstrate processes of gene therapy; and
5. Discuss examples of genetic diseases.

LEARNING CONCEPTS
Introduction

Genetic risks to health come from a variety of sources and predicting those risks can be much
more complicated than simply assessing disease inheritance patterns. The majority of health conditions
are not related to a single genetic cause but result from a combination of inherited and environmental
influences. Our topic will highlight factors and provide risk assessment tools, which can improve
healthcare decision making

Because chromosomes and genes provide instructions for our bodies, any changes to these
structures have the potential to cause genetic disease and negatively impact health. We will discuss the
types of genetic diseases, how these diseases are inherited and the potential health outcomes.

Understanding Gene Therapy

The expression of genetic conditions is not always as simple as the amount Of DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) present, or the inheritance patterns of a single gene disorder. There are many
factors that determine how one's genotype (genetic makeup) correlates to one's phenotype (physical
manifestations). Among these are penetrance, expressivity, mosaicism, and X-inactivatlon.

Penetrance is a measure of how often a disease genotype correlates to the disease phenotype.
For example, in a completely penetrant disease, every individual who is genetically positive for the
disease would have clinical manifestations of said disease. In contrast, for diseases with incomplete
penetrance, some individuals who are genetically positive for that disease may be entirely asymptomatic.

Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and
function between parents and offspring. Suppose you as a child have a genetic disease – one that could
be cured by diet or a similarly straightforward therapy. Wouldn’t the parents want the disease diagnosed?
Or take another example, perhaps two people are getting married. Wouldn’t be beneficial to know what
chance their offspring have of inheriting one or several harmful genetic traits?

We are now armed with the different advance procedures like the PCR, Southern blotting, RFLP
mapping and DNA sequencing. Different laboratories have already developed the ability to provide a very
detailed look of our genetic materials. Is there a necessity to apply all these techniques to all of us? What
harm might it do to have a complete picture of our genes? In totality, these procedures do not insert new
genetic material into cells, no changes of any kind are made. We are only provided with information about
what is already there.

Cases of prenatal or perinatal diagnosis of a birth defect or an enzyme deficiency is one situation
where DNA diagnosis could be of immediate beneficial use. What must be emphasized is that the
information to be garnered by the new technology should be private and used by choice by the individual
whose DNA has been read. A person’s DNA sequence to my mind should be protected by law from
distribution to other parties without the individuals specific permission. This goes the same with
physicians who have obtained such information who should also treat it as they do any privileged material.

The Introduction of foreign genes into organisms doesn’t seem to be dangerous. The resulting
organisms don’t appear to be better able to reproduce than any others. Attempts to remedy human
diseases by somatic gene therapy also don’t appear to pose ethical dilemmas. But introduction of genes
into the human germ line does. The diagnostic procedures that genetic engineering allows are very
powerful. Before anything else, it will be relatively easy to correlate the presence of various DNA
polymorphisms with disease and other hereditary characteristics.

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Genetic Engineering

Gene therapy involves altering the genes inside your body’s cells in an effort to treat or stop the
disease. (www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/gene-therapy/about/pac-2-384619)

It involves the removal of a desirable gene from a cell, adding it to the gene structure of a bacterial
cell and replacing the recombinant DNA into the bacterial cell. The bacteria then have the capability to
produce the protein produced by the original animal or plant cell.

Gene Therapy

Knowledge of genetics is making possible new fields of health care. An example is the finding of
genes that may have mutations that can cause disease will aid in the development of preventive
measures to fight disease. Substances such as hormones and enzymes from genetically engineered
organisms may reduce the cost and the side effects of replacing missing body chemicals.

The gene therapy has become a commonly used term in biomedical research. This process
involves the Splicing Of functional genes into cells that contain defective, nonfunctional genes for a
particular trait. The clinical techniques used to accomplish gene therapy are still being worked out.
However, they involve research into methods of introducing the functional genes into the person or
organism affected by defective gene. Simply, gene therapy replaces a faulty gene or adds a new gene
in an attempt to cure disease or improve your body's ability to fight disease.

Diseased People Cured by Fixing Their Genes

Putting genes into plants and domestic laboratory animals is one thing. What about using genetic
engineering to modify humans, in particular to cure human disease? There are two quite different
procedures that are being debated under this heading, and they need to be discussed separately. The
first procedure is to insert foreign genetic material into the germ line-into sperm or eggs - where they
could be passed on to succeeding generations. The second procedure is to use genetic engineering to
insert foreign genes into somatic cells-into any cells except sperm or eggs and their progenitors-in an
effort to correct some genetic defect.

Some questions may arise like: Does the process work? Will it yield a better quality of life for the
treated individual? Were the patients, parents or guardians given informed consent? Treating human
genetic disease by purposely changing the genes that are passed on to succeeding generations seems
potentially dangerous and ethically unsound. It is dangerous precisely because of the problems brought
up at the very beginning. There is a great possibility of some great interaction between the introduced
gene and the remainder of the genome. The consequences of this ignorance fall onto succeeding
generations-on innocent children or fetuses. On the other hand, if the genetic engineer and the physician
make a mistake in somatic therapy, the person who suffers is the patient, who should have been
appraised of dangers before the therapy was begun.

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LESSON 3 – THE ROLE OF GENES IN HEREDITY

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. Explain the role of genes in heredity.
2. Demonstrate one’s understanding of the key terms.
3. Show in life situations genes importance in education.

LEARNING CONCEPTS
INTRODUCTION
HEREDITY is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring, either through asexual
reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic information of
their parents, through heredity, variations between individuals can accumulate and cause species to
evoke by natural selection. The study of heredity is biology of genetics.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/heredity)

The Role of Genes in Heredity

The heredity information is contained or within the genes, located in the chromosomes of each
cell. An inherited trait can be determined by one or by many genes and a single gene can influence more
than one trait. A human cell contains many thousands of different genes in the nucleus.

Heredity factors known as genes are thought to exist as discrete portions (known as loci) of
chromosomes. The term "discrete" refers to the concept that genes are always located at the same point
or (locus) on a chromosome.

It is believed that pairs of homologous chromosomes contain linear, matching arrangements of

genes exerting parallel control over the same traits. Pairs of genes that exercise such parallel control
over the same traits are known as alleles, which are of two kinds: dominant and recessive.

Genetic characteristics can be extremely complex and may require the actions of several separate
genes to be expressed in the adult organism. An example of traits that require more than a single pair of
genes to be expressed are human height and human color. Other traits may be controlled by a single
pair of genes. Some of these traits may have extreme phenotypes, such as albinism (lack of skin pigment)
in humans,

Common genetic disorder

 Down syndrome
 Sickle cell disease
 Phenylketonuria (PKU)
 Hemophilia

Each of our gene codes contains unique protein and each protein has a separate and distinct
function to perform in the cell.

Effects of Genes in Our Environment

Genes are inherited, but their expression can be modified by interactions with the environment.
Genetic traits are determined largely through the precise information found in the cell's gene structure. A
variety of factors in the environment can actually alter the effects of a particular gene. Some examples of
this effect are as follows:

 Effect of light or chlorophyll production - Although most plants have the genetic ability to
produce chlorophyll, they will do this only in the presence of light. Without light, these plants
produce only a light-yellow pigment and therefore appear pale and sickly until they are
exposed to sunlight. After a few days of exposure to sunlight, the chlorophyll production
mechanism is enabled and green color returns.

Cells store and use coded information. The genetic information stored in DNA is used to direct
the synthesis of the thousands of proteins that each cell requires. The cell contains many thousands of
such codes in its chromosomes, Each strand of DNA in the chromosome has the potential to provide the
complete chemical code for the manufacture of at least one complete protein. These proteins are highly
specific and they result in the expression of some specific trait or portion of a trait in the living cell and,
consequently, in the organism of which they are part.

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Gene Mutations

Genes are segments of DNA molecules. Any alteration of the DNA sequence is a mutation.
Usually, an individual cell's altered gene will be passed on to every cell that develops from it.

Gene mutations may be defined as being any changes in the nitrogenous base sequence of a
molecule DNA. When the base sequence of DNA is altered, the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide
for which it codes will likewise be altered, Such an alteration may affect the operation of the resulting
enzyme, preventing it from properly catalyzing its reaction and thus preventing a trait from being
expressed by the cell, The majority of gene mutations are harmful because they result in the cell being
impaired from performing some specific task. In rare cases, a mutation may result in a lethal gene that
kills the cell either by producing a substance toxic to the cell or by failing to produce a protein of vital
importance to the cell.

Gene mutations are passed to every cell that arises from the mutated cell. If the mutation occurs
in somatic (body) tissues, its defect is limited to the tissues immediately surrounding the mutated cell. If
the mutation occurs in a primary sex cell, it is passed on to the offspring that result from fertilization of or
by gametes produced from the primary sex cell. A mutation can enter the gene pool of a population and
be passed on to succeeding generations. This is known to be a cause of variation in a species.

On the other hand, DNA is a polymer made up of a repeating chemical unit known as the
NUCLEOTIDE. Thousands of the units are known to comprise a single DNA molecule, making it one of
the largest of all organic compounds.

DNA exists in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of different forms, depending on the precise
arrangement of nucleotides in the molecule. Its variability is the key to genetic variation in living things.

DNA nucleotides themselves are quite complex, being composed of three separate subunits:

 Phosphate group - a chemical group made up of phosphorous and oxygen.

 Deoxyribose - a five-carbon sugar made up of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen.
 Nitrogenous base - a chemical unit composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.
Bases found in DNA are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C). and guanine (G)

Have you ever written a secrete message to one of your friends? If so, you may have used a
CODE to keep the message hidden. For instance, you may have replaced the letters of the word with
numbers or separable, following a particular set of rules. In order for your friends to understand the
message, they would need to know the code and apply the same set of rules, in reverse, to decode it.

Decoding messages is also a keep step in gene expression, in which information from a gene is
read out to build a protein. Genetic code allows DNA & RNA sequences to be "decoded" into amino acids
of a protein. •(http:/twww.khanaacademy.org/science/biology/gene-expression-centrla dogma)

DNA Code

The chemical and structural properties of DNA are the bases for how the genetic information that
underlies heredity is both encoded in genes (as a string of molecular bases) and replicated by means of
template. As we recall the DNA is a complex organic molecule composed of thousands of repeating
nucleotide molecules and that each free nucleotide carries with it one of our nitrogenous bases. The
particular sequence of nitrogenous bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine (A, T, C and G)
comprise a strand of DNA and providing the type of chemical code that is understood by the chemical
mechanisms of the cell. The DNA code is used by these mechanisms to manufacture specific enzymes
and other proteins through the process of protein synthesis.

A DNA strand provides a template (pattern) for the formation of messenger RNA (mRNA). The
DNA code is transcribed (read) by mRNA as the latter is synthesized in a pattern complementary to the
DNA strand. The process by which the DNA code is transferred to mRNA code is known as transcription.
In RNA molecules, uracil (U) nucleotides are substituted for DNA's thymine (T).

Each group of the three nitrogenous bases, known as a triplet codon, provides the information
necessary to code for the insertion of a single, specific amino acid into building protein molecule. The
particular sequence of triplet codons on DNA (and transcribed to mRNA) enables amino acids to be linked
together in a specific sequence during protein synthesis.

In conclusion DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern, it is a CODE, a language, and an
information STORAGE. (http://int.search.mywebsearch.com/search/GGmain) An essential question to
be asked is: How does inheritance help ensure continuity of life?

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 A Significant principle of biology is the concept that all living organisms possess a set of
instruction, in the form of genes, that determine the characteristic of the organism, These instructions are
unique to the species for they determine the general physical and biochemical traits of the group. Being
unique to the individual, coding of the specific set of characteristics that sets one individual organism
apart from all others of that species. Students should also be familiar with

 mechanisms by which genetic traits are passed from generations to generation to

maintain genetic continuity of the species.
 molecular basis of genetics that is used to maintain genetic mechanisms by which it
changes through recombination, mutation and genetic engineering

Students should be familiar with the mechanism by which DNA structure during normal cell
operation and in the process of DNA and RNA in the coding of cell-specific proteins and understand the
role of structural and functional proteins, enzymes, hormones, and other substances.

The Genetic Code

Every organism requires a set of coded instructions for specifying its traits. For offspring to
resemble their parents, information must be reliably transferred from one generation to the next. Heredity
is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another. Discoveries in genetic science,
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was revealed to be the chemically active agent of the gene. DNA replicates
itself when chromosomes replicate in the early stages of cell division.

DNA is passed from generation to generation during reproduction and acts as genetic factors.

DNA interacts with the cell's chemical factory and produces the observable effects of the
phenotype when genes are inherited by a cell or an organism.

DNA regulates the production of enzymes in the cell and thereby enables the cell to perform the
complex cellular chemical reactions necessary to sustain life.

Stem-cell therapy focuses on the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Stem
cells are a special read of cells that are capable of differentiating into more than one kind of tissue. Stem
cells are used for curing various diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, few cancers and bone marrow
failure.

Genetic engineering is a technique of controlled manipulation of genes to change the genetic

make-up of cells and more genes across species boundaries. (http://www.omiconline.org/advancements-
in-genetic-engineering.php)

SUMMARY

The lesson was a discussion to enlighten us on the role of genes in heredity particularly how
genes cause certain aspects in the growth and development of the individual. Parents especially look
into the genetic traits that their children will exhibit; The explanation on gene mutations included the
understanding of the DNA and Genetic Codes.

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LESSON 4 – BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. Define what biodiversity is.
2. Explain the impact of biodiversity on human population growth; and
3. Apply how we can protect our environment by knowing the signs of contamination.

LEARNING CONCEPTS
INTRODUCTION
Our Planet Earth share trillions of varied species.

The different species of our plants and animals and the places they live is called biodiversity. All
together they give us all our needs in our life like food, clear drinking water, crisp air, medicines and
provide us our homes. Biodiversity is like a safety net.

We take into consideration, the huge variety of animals and plants in our planet Earth as threads
in the net. The more threads that adhere and intertwine, the net gets stronger, and the better nature can
provide for us and less threats for a climate change. Unfortunately, people have been disregarding the
safety and help of the net for decades. The forests were flattened to give way for farming. We have netted
young fishes until their numbers have collapsed. Wetlands were bulldozed causing floods and wreak
havocs. The great impact man has done for the very first time in human history is full understanding of
when to start mending the affected net wherein our natural world we love and depend upon. There is still
the need to reverse the losses of nature, but we need to move swiftly to avoid any catastrophic change.

The Impact of Biodiversity on Human Life

The human species is just one of Earth's 1.9 million living life forms. It has arisen by the same
mechanisms as other species. It has the same physical requirements as other, similar species. It is
dependent for its survival on its successful interactions with Earth's plant and animal species. Ultimately,
it is a subject to the same limitations to growth as any other species.

However, humans are also unlike any other species because of their niche as thinking, planning,
and technological beings. Due to their ability to use technology, the human population is growing virtually
unchecked by the natural factors that limit other species populations. Human technologies have had
significant impacts on the natural world by producing materials that pollute the air, water and soil. Its
activities are increasingly displacing or destroying natural habitats and their ecological communities,
reducing biodiversity and endangering the survival of many, if not all, Earth's living things. As a species,
it is essential that we understand the necessity of preserving the natural environment and its living species
as a means of ensuring our own survival. While some progress has been made in correcting certain
environmental problems, much remains to be done. Education and environmental awareness on a global
level is essential. Governments, industries, and the general public must come together with the long
range impact of human activity that destroys the very fabric of biological life on Earth.

Human Population Growth

Unlike all other species, human population growth has risen at a very rapid rate over the past
centuries. The development of medical technology has reduced the incidence of disease in many parts
of the world; modern agriculture had reduced the incidence of disease in many parts of the world; modern
agriculture had reduced the likelihood of starvation in developed nations. This rapid increase in human
population and technology that supports the growth has put extreme pressures on the natural world,
threatening the survival of natural species and habitats.

In many less developed areas of the world, the human population has grown faster than the food
supply, causing widespread famine that threatens to eliminate large portions of the populations.

Poverty and hunger in these areas had led to the resurgence of diseases. These same conditions have
forced some people to abandon their homes in search of food and to be exposed to the elements, further
reducing their ability to survive. Such occurrences are becoming more frequent and severe. It remains to
be seen when similar collapses will occur in developed countries. Apparently, the human species is
rapidly approaching a point where it will be unable to sustain continued growth.

Pollution and Destruction in our Environment

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 Technological and. industrial processes have led to the production of chemicals and by-products
that are harmful (toxic) to living things. Such toxic chemicals have contributed to our global environmental
pollution. Examples of pollutants include acidic ions, pesticides. When they are released into the
environment, these pollutants contaminate water, air, and / or soil, and make survival of natural species
difficult or impossible. To that extent, humans are exposed to these pollutants, and we are also subject
to their toxic effects. The industrial by-products such as dioxin pose similar dangers to many species,
including humans the combining of acidic ions with atmospheric water has resulted in acid precipitation
(acid rain), which has acidified lakes and disrupted natural ecosystems.

Destruction of Habitat

Humans have used their technologies to remove trees and other plant life from wide areas of their
natural habitat for the purpose of creating agricultural lands, industrial zones, roadways, or residential
and commercial developments. Humans have drained, filled, or redirected wetlands, ponds, streams and
other natural water habitats for these same purposes. Collectively known as habitat destruction, these
activities have had the effect of displacing plant and animal species important to the maintenance of a
balanced ecosystem. Human agriculture has produced a variety of negative effects due to inattention to
its impact on the natural environment. Failure to use cover crops (crops that protect soil from erosion)
between planting cycles has exposed bare soil to erosion, resulting in loss of topsoil and sedimentation
of water sources. Over cropping is the failure to allow soil to recover nutrients and organic matter content
between plantings. Overgrazing is the practice of allowing large numbers of domestic animals to graze
an area too small to support them.

Exploitation of Animals and Plants

Humans who have great desire to possess exotic animals and plants or their products have been
enabled by modern transportation, communication and economic technologies. This resulted in the
exploitation for exotic species of primates such as monkey, cats, birds such as parrots and other pets.
Some animals are killed for their horns, elephants for their tusks, tigers and other species for their pelts.
Each species loss has impacted its ecosystem in a negative way. Each exploited species is to one degree
or another, in danger of extinction because of this exploitation.

In an activity known as direct harvesting, humans have removed plants from the ecosystem for
their economic value without regard for the effect of its removal on the natural ecosystem. This removal
has negatively impacted the ecosystem by decreasing biodiversity (variety of life) in these habitats. Forest
trees were directly harvested from our mountains to provide lumber for building purposes, and denuded
in the process, allowing fragile soils to be washed away. This activity resulted in the destruction of entire
mountain habitats. Worldwide, direct harvesting activities for exotic hardwoods in tropical rain forests has
resulted in similar habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity.

Signs of Environmental Contamination

Many warning signs exist indicate that a dangerous disequilibrium is being created in our
ecosystems. Some researchers suspect that toxic chemicals by-products heavy metals, pesticides,
hormones, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants are responsible for an increased frequency in
deformation of illnesses, death of natural populations worldwide. An example is the dramatic decline and
deformation in frog populations which have been observed in aquatic ecosystems around the world. The
culprits suspected by some scientists are hormone-disrupting chemicals in agricultural runoff. Other
examples include:

 reproductive cycle disruption in birds as a result of high concentrations of DDT and other
pesticides.
 deaths and population declines of birds and fish linked to contamination from oil spills
 deaths and disorientation of marine mammals (tortoise and whales) possibly due to coastal
pollutant runoff
 contaminated waters

In our own species, adverse health effects linked to chemical exposure are increasingly prevalent
among infancy and early childhood. These are the periods of vulnerability to environmental pollution,
because they spend more energy, require more food, water, and oxygen per unit of mass than adults,
hence young children are likely to take in and store more toxic chemicals per pound than adults. Recently,
the incidence of birth defects and diseases linked to environmental pollution has risen among children
living in environmentally-contaminated areas of the world. Childhood cancer has become the second
leading cause of childhood deaths. Other health problems being experienced today by children living in
contaminated communities include chronic lung disease and childhood asthma.

11
Consumption of Energy

Worldwide, industrialization has brought an increased demand for use of energy resources. It
brought both the positive and the negative effects on humans and ecosystems. The world industrialized
nations have used tremendous quantity of energy to fuel their business. Countries like the United States
and England have long been the major consumers of energy. China, formerly a light user of energy
resources, lately became a major consumer of petroleum as a source of energy to operate its growing
economy.

For sometime the source of energy has changed, with traditional water, wood, coal, and oil
gradually being replaced with natural gas, wind, wave/tidal, nuclear, solar, geothermal and fuel cell
technologies. The development of these energy sources often uses valuable agricultural land for the
construction, storage and transport of energy they produce.

Fossils for Fuels

Fossil fuels are commonly used as an energy source in industrial processes for the past 200
years, include naturally occurring materials such as oil, coal and natural gas. These fuels are obtained
from underground deposits formed million years ago by biological and geological processes, and these
fossil fuels are not being replenished. The chemical by-products of fossil fuel combustion are released
into the atmosphere and contribute' to the worldwide air pollution as well as a phenomenon known as
acid precipitation or acid rain. Acid precipitation results from combining of sulfur and nitrogen oxide
ions with atmospheric water to produce sulfuric and nitric acids. When rain snow and sleet containing
these acids fall on aquatic ecosystems they can significantly alter the acid/base chemistry. Any alteration
often leads to elimination of acid/base sensitive species of fish and amphibians in the ecosystem. The
burning of fossil fuels has also been linked to the phenomenon known as global warming.

12
LESSON 5 – GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS, SCIENCE, HEALTH AND
POLITICS

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. Identify issues on genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).
2. Discuss different implications and impact of GMO’s; and
3. Create a research paper on the impact of GMO’s in the Philippine context.

LEARNING CONCEPTS
INTRODUCTION
In 2001, Rosalie Ellasus, a former overseas Filipino worker in Singapore turned farmer, attended
the Integrated Pest Management - Farmers Field School and was introduced to Bt Corn, a genetically
modified corn that is resistant to the destructive Asian corn borer. Ms. Ellasus volunteered for demo-
testing in her field. Bt Corn yielded 7.2 tons per acre as compared to a regular yield of 4.2 tons per
hectare. No insecticide spraying was needed. This is one of the success stories of genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) (Ongkiko, 2016).
Genetic engineering has been with the human society since selective breeding was introduced to
humankind and when animals were domesticated. Yet, the process of genetic alterations is all but natural.
It was in 1951 that the term genetic engineering was coined by Jack Williamson, author of the
science fiction novel Dragon's Island (Stableford 2004). This was years before actual research findings
on the DNA's role in heredity and its structure, the double-helix of Watson and Crick, were published.
Through continuous search for development, genetic engineering no longer stayed in science fiction
novel. It became a reality in science laboratories. The general process of genetic engineering is the
deliberate manipulation of the organism's genes, where it may involve transfer of genes from other
organism.
An antibiotic-resistant E. coli bacteria was created in 1973. To date, there are ongoing researches
on GMOs such as using genetically modified male mosquitoes as pest control over female mosquito
carriers of Zika virus.
However, despite the many possibilities of creating solutions for problems and opening doors for
innovations, genetic engineering faces much opposition. Opponents raise ethical, social, and
environmental issues related to genetic engineering and its GMOs.
This lesson will present the existence of genetic engineering, specifically GMOs in the different
areas of life, the impact to humankind, and the controversies that surround them.
Genetically Modified Organism
Genetically modified organism (GMO) is the term used for an organism created through genetic
engineering. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) defines GMO as an "organism, either plant,
animal, or microorganism, in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not
occur naturally by mating or natural recombination". Below is a diagram of how bacterial gene is
introduced through genetic engineering to plant cells and tissues to develop and breed a genetically
modified plant.

The Genetic Engineering Process on a Plant

13
 The development of GMO’s was perceived to help in the advancement of technology for the
benefit of humans in different industries like agriculture and medicine.

GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries

The Center for Ecogenetics and Environrnental Health (CEEH, 2013) identified the following roles
of GMO’s in the food and agricultural industries:

1. Pest resistance genetically modified plants to resist

certain pests.

An example is Bt Corn. The DNA (genome) of the

Bt Corn has been modified with the gene of Bacillus
thuringiensis, a soil bacterium that produces proteins
which is toxic to corn borers (worms)

2. Virus resistance - genetically modified plants to resist

certain viruses.

An example is GM papaya or rainbow papaya. The

papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is known to be detrimental to
papaya plants. The protein of PRSV was introduced to the
papaya plant through plant tissue which turned out to be
resistant to the virus itself. The effect was like the vaccines
humans have against measles or influenza virus.

3. Herbicide tolerance - genetically modified plants to tolerate

herbicide.

An example is Roundup Ready soybean, Glyphosate,

an herbicide for weeds, was introduced to soybeans
making it tolerant to the herbicide itself. Farmers then can
spray the herbicide killing the weeds but not the soybeans.

4. Fortification - genetically modified plants fortified with certain minerals.

An example is Golden Rice. Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, was introduced

through biosynthesis genes to the rice, making the rice grains fortified with vitamin A.

5. Cosmetic preservation — genetically modified plants

resist natural discoloration.

An example is Arctic Apple. The apple variety was

genetically modified to suppress the browning of apple
due to superficial damage.

6. Increase growth rate - a genetically modified organism that has higher yield in growth than
normal species.

14
 An example is
AquAdvantage salmon. A gene
from an ocean pout, an eel-like
fish was introduced to Pacific
Chinook salmon, making the
salmon grow faster than its
normal rate.

GMOs in Non-Food Crops and Microorganisms

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in non-food crops and some microorganisms involve the
following:
1. Flower production – GMO’s in flower production are seen in modified color and extended
vase life of flowers.

Examples are Blue Roses. The so-called "blue" roses,

which are, in reality, lilac or purple, contained cyanidin 3,5-
diglucoside, together with large amounts of flavonols. The
introduction of the flavonoid 31, 51-hydroxylase gene into
pelargonidin- or cyaniding producing rose cultivars diverts the
anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway toward the production of
delphinidin glucosides and the flower color to blue (Elomaa &
Holton, 1994).

2. Paper production - modified characteristics of trees for

higher yield of paper production.

Examples are poplar trees. Lignin is a complex polymer

in trees that is removed from wood to make paper through
kraft process, through inserting genes that code for ferulic
acid in young poplar trees, the lignin structure is modified,
making lignin easier to breakdown (Veniza, 2014).

3. Pharmaceutical productions - modified plants to produce

pharmaceutical products.

Examples are periwinkle plants. Bacterial genes were

added to the periwinkle plant to enhance the production
of vinblastine, an alkaloid usually added to drugs for
cancer treatments like Hodgkin's lymphoma
(Runguphan, 2010).

15
 4. Bioremediation - use of modified plants that can assist in
the bioremediation of polluted sites.
An example is shrub tobacco. Nicotiana glauca, or
shrub tobacco genetically modified with phytochelatin
TaPCSIl, is used for bioremediation. It shows high level
accumulation of zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, and boron
and produces high biomass.

5. Enzyme and drug production - use of modified microorganisms that can produce enzymes
for food processing and medicines.

One example of this is CGTase. Cyclomaltodextrin

glycosyltransferase (CGTase), an enzyme used for food
flavor enhancer, is produced in higher quantity by bacterium
Bacillus which was genetically modified with the gene of a
thermophilic anaerobe, Thermoanaerobacter, carrying
CGTåse (Pedersen & Jorgensen, 1995).

Another example is artemesin. Artemesinic acid is a

compound used for anti-malarial drug extracted from sweet
wordwood plant. Through genetic engineering, it can be
synthetically produced by yeast and bacteria with sweet
wordwood plant gene (Zimmer, 2006).

6. GMOs in the medical field - genetic engineering is playing a significant role

from diagnosis to treatment of human-dreaded diseases. It helps in the
production of drugs, gene therapy, and laboratory researches.

One classic example is Humulin, the genetically engineered insulin used

by Type I diabetes patients who are insulin dependent. In the past, insulin
is extracted from the pancreases of pigs and cows that have caused allergic
reactions to some diabetics using it. In 1978, researchers from the City of
Hope National Medical Center and Genentech Biotechnology Company
were able to produce human insulin. The gene for insulin was inserted to
bacterial DNA that was able to produce almost exactly the same human
insulin. This was a breakthrough in the mass production of human insulin.
In 1996, modified human insulin was approved, called the Humalog.

Benefits of GMOs
Studies show some of the potential benefits of GMOs:

 Higher efficiency in farming - with the use of pesticide-resistant / herbicide-tolerant GMO

crops, there will be less use for herbicides/pesticides, and lower cost for labor and cultivation.
 Increase in harvest - GMO crops, resistant to pests and diseases means increase in potential
growth and harvest.
 Control in fertility - controlling the purity of the hybrid seeds (GMO seeds) ensures higher
yields.
 Increase in food processing - altered characteristics of GMO crops help ease food processing.
 Improvement of desirable characteristics - GMOs offer longer shelf life, enhanced color and
taste, enhanced production or reduction of enzymes, and other modified characteristics of
plants, animals, and microorganisms.
 Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement - GMO crops like maize fortified with lysine and
Golden Rice fortified with vitamin A and iron. There are now edible vaccines for viral and
diarrheal diseases.
 Reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides.
There are over 400 million acres of GMO farmlands all over the world. The top five countries that
operate GMO farmlands are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Canada. Some of the GMO
agricultural crops that have been approved for public consumption and are already in the market include:

16
alfalfa, corn, papaya, soya bean, sugar beets, and squash. Most of these GMO crops were made to be
resistant to pests. Some examples of common food with GMOs are Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Quaker Chewy
Granola Bars, Ultra Slim Fast, Quaker Yellow Corn Meal, and Alpo Dry Pet Food.
In the animal industries, there are ongoing researches like studies on Pacific salmon that grows
twice faster than the native salmon and chicken resistant to H5N1 bird flu viruses. However, these GMO
animals are all in research laboratory and not yet approved for public consumption.
Potential Risks of GMOs
Despite the promising claims of GMOs, the opponents of GMOs claim otherwise. For example,
there are studies that show a link in the adaption of pesticide-resistant GMO crops to the significant
growth of super weeds that became pesticide-resistant, too. This caused additional problem to more than
12 million acres of farms in the United States.
Opponents of GMOs have the following major concerns:
1. Since genetic engineering is still a young branch of science, there are inadequate studies on the
effects of GMOs to humans and the environment.
2. Genetic engineering promotes mutation in organisms which the long term effect is still unknown.
3. Human consumption of GMOs might have the following effects:

 More allergic reactions - GMO food may trigger more allergic reactions, more so create new
ones, as side effect of the gene alteration.
 Gene mutation - GMO food may develop abnormalities and mutation, more than the desired
product of the gene alteration.
 Antibiotic resistance -GMO food contains antibiotic resistant genes; this may cause disease-
causing bacteria likely to be more antibiotic-resistant too, increasing the possibility of
widespread of the disease.
 Nutritional value - GMO food may have change in their nutritional value.
Potential Environmental Risks Caused By GMOs
Karki (2006) summarized the perceived potential environmental risks caused by GMOs. The
identified major risks are the following:
1. Risk in gene flow - there is a potential risk of the modified gene to be transferred from the GMO
crop to its wild relative or organism in the soil and human intestine (when ingested). For example,
a decaying GMO plant could possibly transfer the modified genes to the bacteria and fungi in the
soil. Bacteria and fungi are capable of using a genetic material from their surroundings. There are
no studies yet on the effects of the absorbed modified gene to the other organisms.

2. Emergence of new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems - GMO crops
resistant to certain pesticides may trigger new form of pest resistance while GMO herbicide-
tolerant crops may lead to the over use of the herbicides which may trigger new form of weed
resistance.

3. Recombination of Virus and Bacteria to Produce New Pathogens - the modified gene can be
transferred and integrated in the viral or bacterial genes which may lead to or bacterial gene
modification or mutation. This living modified virus and bacteria may then cause new disease that
may affect other including human beings.
Other direct and indirect environmental risks caused by GMOs (Molfino & Zucco, 2008):
1. Direct environmental risks are:

 Introduction of the GMOs in the natural environment may cause disruption of the
natural communities through competition or interference;
 The possibility of unexpected behavior of the GMOs in the environment if it escapes
its intended use and may post threats or become pest;
 May cause harmful effects to ecosystem processes if GMOs interfere with the natural
biochemical cycles; and the persistence of GMO genes after its harvest which may
cause negative impacts to the consumer of GMO products.

17
 2. Indirect environmental risks are:

 Alteration of agricultural practices like managing negative impacts of GMOs to the

environment such as evolution of insects, pests, and that became resistant to GMO
crops;
 May have impacts to biodiversity caused by the alteration in agricultural practices; and
 May have varied environmental impacts due to GMOs interaction and release in the
natural environment.
Potential Human Health Risks caused by GMOs

A major concern in the use and consumption of GMOs is its effect on human beings, primarily on
human health. Some potential human health risks are identified (Akhter, 2001), such as:
 Consumption of GMOs may have adverse effects since it is not naturally or organically produced;

 Consumption of GMOs may alter the balance of existing microorganisms in the human digestive
system;

 Production of toxins may be detrimental to human health; and

 Production of allergens may have adverse effects on humans.

Worldwide, there are many groups that campaign against GMO food consumption. They
encourage people to boycott GMO products and to be vigilant in checking if the food they buy has GMO
ingredients. In the Philippines, the Supreme Court has ruled against the use of Bt eggplant, another
genetically modified crop (Ongkiko, 2016).
Other potential risks that raise major concern are:
 Human Genome Project (HGP) - Mapping of human genes to provide framework for research and
studies in the field of medicine. It was feared that the ability to produce human genetic information
would create biases and give much power to people holding the information and to the disadvantage
of those who do not have the genetic information.

 Mutation of genetically engineered microorganisms - Genetically modified bacteria and viruses may
mutate to become more resistant or virulent that may cause more dreadful diseases for human
beings.

 Cloning - The asexual -reproduction of an organism using parent cell through genetic engineering. In
February 24, 1997, the first mammal, Dolly, a sheep from Scotland, was born through cloning. With
its celebrated success came the fear of human cloning. It emerged the ethical issue of man "playing
God. "
Scientists and medical practitioners would definitely continue to search for ways to preserve lives.
Genetic engineering is perceived to be one of the keys to this venture. Gene therapy and gene alteration
are promising ways to improve human health conditions. On the other hand, great fears loom in the
process of this quest. There are many things to be considered before a certain medical process using
genetic engineering be accepted.
These concerns were affirmed by the reports, of the World Health Organization. WHO reported
three major issues on GMOs that are in international public debates. These are the potential risks of
allergic reactions, gene transfer/flow, and outcrossing (WHO, 2014).
The primary issue on GMOs presented in public debate is its unnatural production or what is
termed to be a violation of nature. The creation of new organisms, like GMOs, posts moral issues on
defiance to natural laws. Another concern is the potential risks to the environment and human health, to
which so much is unknown yet.

Biosafety on GMOs

There are initiatives for the protection of the general human population regarding the issues and
concerns about GMOs. International organizations developed principles and treaties that somehow
ensure biosafety on GMOs. Some of these initiatives are as follows:

18
 The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
together with the World Health Organization (WHO) created The Codex Alimentarius Commission
(Codex). Codex is an intergovernmental body that develops the Codex Alimentarius, know us the
International Food Code. Codex is for the development of standards, codes of practices,
guidelines, and recommendations on food safety. With the pressing issues and concerns on
GMOs, in 2003, Codex has developed principles for the human health risk analysis of genetically
modified (GM) food products. The principles include pre-market assessments of GM food
products and its evaluation of direct and indirect effects. However, the Codex principles has no
binding effect on national legislation but through the sanitary and phytosanitary measures of the
World Trade Organization, national legislators are encouraged to complement their national
standards with the Codex Principles (WHO, 2014).

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Established in 2003, Cartagena Protocol is an international

environmental treaty that regulates the transboundary movements of Modified Organisms
(LMOs). The Cartagena Protocol requires exporters to seek consent from the importers before its
first shipment of LMOs (WHO, 2014).

International Trade Agreement on labeling of GM food and food products. The agreement requires
exporters of GM food and food products to label their products and give rights to importing parties
to reject or accept the GM products. The premise of this policy is that consumers have the right
to know and the freedom to choose GM or non-GM products (Whitman, 2000).
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) claims that all GM products that are available in the
international market have passed safety assessment by national authorities. The safety assessments
basically look at the environmental and health risk factors and food safety usually follows the Codex Food
Code.

GMOs in Philippine Context

Introduction of GMOs in our country created issues and controversies similar to other countries
with GMOs. There are, of course, proponents and opponents of these issues.
The GMO concern started in the 1990s with the creation of the National Committee on Biosafety
of the Philippines (NCBP) through Executive Order No. 430 of 1990. The NCBP developed the guidelines
on the planned release of genetically manipulated (GMOs) and potentially harmful exotic species in 1998.
In 2002, the Department of Agriculture released Administrative Order No. 8, the guideline for the
importation and release into the environment of GM plants and plant products. On that same year, the
entry of GMO importation started (Baumuller, 2003). The Philippines was marked to be the first country
in Asia to approved commercial cultivation of GMOs when GM corn planting was approved in 2002
(Serapio & Dela Cruz, 2016).
From December 2002 to present, there are 70 GMO applications approved by the Department of
Agriculture for the release to the environment, 62 GMOs of which are approved for food feed and
processing and the remaining 8 were approved for propagation (Aruelo, 2016).
In 2004, the Philippines was classified by International Service for acquisition of agri-biotech
applications as one of the fourteen biotech-mega countries which grow 50,000 hectares or more of GMO
crops annually (James, 2004). In that same year, Senator Juan Flavier authored a bill on the mandatory
labeling of food and food products with GMOs. The Senate did not pass the bill.
In 2006, the Philippines became part of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. In the same year,
Executive Order No. 514 was issued to address the biosafety requirements of the Cartagena Protocol
and the establishment of the National Biosafety Framework (NBF),
In 2010, the Organic Agriculture Act was issued, encouraging organic agriculture than GMO-
related agriculture. Prior to this act, there are several provinces like Negros Occidental and Negros
Oriental which agreed to support organic agriculture. There was the establishment of the Negros Organic
Island through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the two provinces in 2005. With this MOA,
the two provinces were able to ban the entry of GMOs and living GMOs to their provinces through
provincial ordinance. Similar to this case, Davao City passed the Organic Agriculture Ordinance in 2010.
This city ordinance helps the prevention of field testing of GM Bt eggplant in the UP Mindanao Campus
(Aruelo, 2016).
In 2012, Representative Teddy Casino, together with other congressmen, filed a bill pushing for
the mandatory labeling of GM food and food products. To date, there is no Philippine biosafety law, only
biosafety regulations formed under NBF.
19
 A study on the biosafety regulations of the Philippines concluded that the existing regulation is
weak, which can be fixed through legislation such as a republic act (Richmond, 2006).
In December 2015, the Supreme Court ordered to put an end to the field testing of GMO Bt
eggplant and declared Administrative Order No. 8, series of 2002 of the Department of Agriculture as null
and void. This means that any actions or procedures related to GMO importations and propagation is
temporarily put to stop until a new administrative order is issued in accordance with the law.
In March 7, 2016, five government agencies namely, the Department of Science and Technology,
the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of
Health, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, passed a Joint Department Circular
No. l, series of 2016 on rules and regulations for the research and development, handling and use,
transboundary movement, release in the environment, and management of the genetically modified plant
and plant products derived from the use of modern biotechnology. This joint department circular paves
way to issuance of new permits for planting and importing GM crops in the country.
SUMMARY

Genetic engineering is an emerging field of science. Its quests are to preserve and prolong
life. In more than four decades since the first genetically modified bacteria was produced, thousands
of genetically modified organisms have been created and propagated. Some are approved by experts
and government authorities for human use and consumption while others are kept in institutional
research laboratories subject for more experiments.
There are advantages and disadvantages in using genetic engineering in both fields of
medicine and food and agriculture, there are controversies that are still debatable up to the present.
The major concern of the opponents is the long-term effect of GMOs to humans, while the proponents'
flagship is the success stories of the GMO recipients.
There is still a long way to go for GMOs to prove itself, as humans seek answers to life's
predicaments or as humans play like God.

20
LESSON 6 – THE NANO WORLD

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you are able to:

4. Define nanoscience clearly.
5. Discuss the contributions of persons to this subject; and
6. Appreciate the uses of nano science and nano technology.

LEARNING CONCEPTS
INTRODUCTION
Nanoworld of science and technology is of great interest to governments, industries and
academia. The prefix "nano" denotes sizes of the order of one billionth of a meter. "Nanostructure science
and technology is a broad and interdisciplinary area of research and development activity that has been
growing explosively worldwide in the past few years. It has the potential for revolutionizing the way in
which materials and products are created and the range and nature of functionalities that can be
accessed" (Siegel, 1999).

The history of nanotechnology traces the development of the concepts and experimental work
falling under the broad category of nanotechnology. Although nanotechnology is a relatively recent
development in scientific research, the development of its central concepts happened over a longer
period of time. The emergence of nanotechnology in the 1980s was caused by the convergence of
experimental advances such as the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 and the
discovery of fullerenes in 1985, with the elucidation and popularization of a conceptual framework for the
goals of nanotechnology.

Defining the Terms

The two terms often used in the literature with reference to the world of nano materials are
nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nano materials denote divided matter." As Rao (1999) said, "if you
take a piece of solid matter (say a metal) containing an Avogadro number of atoms and go on dividing it
to smaller bits, you will ultimately end up with an atom of the substance. Before that, you will reach a
stage of very 'tiny particles containing 100 to 10,000 atoms. Such particles with diameters of (1-50 nm)
are referred to as nanoparticles.

Nanomaterials exhibit properties entirely different from bulk materials and constitute materials of
the future. Increased surface area and quantum effects are the two key factors that separate
nanomaterials from bulk materials (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2004). A
substance of size 3 nm has 50% of its atoms on the surface compared to a substance of size 30 nm with
5% of its atoms on its surface. As size decreases more quantum effects begin to manifest in the form of
electrical, magnetic and optical properties.

Nanoscience refers to the scientific study of materials of nanometer size, i.e., one billionth of a
meter (The Royal Society, 1994). It is a combination of developments in solid state chemistry, synthetic
chemistry, molecular biology, solid state physics and engineering, and scanning tunneling microscopy.
According to Alfred Nordmann (cited in Schummer, 2003), it is a site-oriented technoscience approach
that differs both from classical theory-driven and problem-driven (p. 2). For example, nanosized indium
melts at much lower temperature than respective bulk metal (Allen, 2002). Copper in extremely thin
layers, in the presence of magnetic field, becomes a poor conductor of electricity (Loder, 2005).

Nanotechnology refers to various technologies to produce materials of extra high precision and
dimensions on the scale of one-billionth of a meter. (Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo Science University is
credited with coining the term "nanotechnology" in 1974). Nanotechnology "implies the ability to generate
and utilize structures, components, and devices with a size range from about 0.1 nm (atomic and
molecular scale) to about 100nm (or larger in some situations) by control at atomic molecular, and
macromolecular levels" (Roco, 1999). One of the most interesting aspects of nanotechnology is building
molecule-by-molecule materials similar to those produced by biological self-assembly, self-organization
and self-regulation (Carraher, Jr. 1994).

What is Nano World?

To understand the nano world here are presented important personages who have contributed to
the growth and study of the Nano World.

21
 The retroactive rediscovery of Feynman's "Plenty of Room" gave
nanotechnology a packaged history that provided an early date of December
1959, plus a connection to the charisma and genius of Richard Feynman.
Feynman's stature as a Nobel laureate and as an iconic figure in 20th century
science surely helped advocates of nanotechnology and provided a valuable
intellectual link to the past.

Richard Feynman

His paper on the Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and

Computation, received the Association of American Publishers award for Best
Computer Science Book of 1992. Drexler founded the Foresight Institute in 1986
with the mission of "Preparing for nanotechnology."

Erick Drexler

Nanotechnology and nanoscience got a boost in the early 1980s with two major developments:
the birth of cluster science and the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). These
developments led to the discovery of fullerenes in 1985 and the structural assignment of carbon
nanotubes a few years later.

The scanning tunneling microscope, an instrument for

imaging surfaces at the atomic level, was developed in 1981 by
Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research
Laboratory, for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1986 (18)(19) Binnig, Calvin Quate and Christoph
Gerber invented the first atomic force microscope in 1986. The
first commercially available atomic force microscope was
introduced in 1989.

Gerd Binnig Heinrich Rohrer

IBM researcher Don Eigler was the first to manipulate atoms using a
scanning tunneling microscope in 1989. He used 35 Xenon atoms to spell out
the IBM logo (20) He shared the 2010 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for this work.

Don Eigler

Initial commercial applications

The early 2000s saw the beginnings of the use of nanotechnology in commercial products,
although most applications are limited to the bulk use of passive nanomaterials. Examples include
titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen, cosmetics and some food products; silver
nanoparticles in food packaging, clothing, disinfectants and household appliances such as Silver Nano;
carbon nanotubes for stain-resistant textiles; and cerium oxide as a fuel catalyst.(51) As of March 10,
2011, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that over 1300 manufacturer-identified
nanotech products are publicly available, with new ones hitting the market at a pace of 3-4 per week.

22
 Potential Uses

The joint Center for Bioethics in Canada ranked potential uses of nanosciences and
nanotechnologies with respect to development. The top ten uses follow (BBC News, 2005).

 Energy production, conservation and storage

 Enhancement of agricultural productivity
 Treatment and remediation of water
 Screening and diagnosing diseases
 Systems for drug delivery
 Processing and storing food
 Controlling air pollution
 Construction
 Monitoring health
 Detecting and controlling pests

SUMMARY

The nanoworld is perhaps fast growing world in the twenty-first century. Global competition
among nations in nanotechnology research, development and marketing is on the rise. Advantages of
nanotechnology towards improving the quality of life are many and are felt by humankind. Whether the
nanoworld holds any solutions for problems faced by science education is a critical question which
must be addressed in its entirety. However, disadvantages of nanotechnology especially related to
human health and the environment are only beginning to surface raising serious concerns. Systematic
exploration, characterization, organization and regulation of the nanoworld are warranted to make the
best use of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The nanoworld will continue to influence science and
technology.

TEXTBOOK:
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY; Nelia G. Prieto, LPT, PhD, et al.;
Lorimar Publishing Inc; © 2019.
REFERENCES:
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY; Janice Patria Javier Serafica, et. al.;
Rex Book Store, Inc.; ©2018; 1st edition.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (OBE READY); Kathryn Idrisha K. Aldea,
et. al.; Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.; ©2019.

PREPARED BY:

CHRISTY B. GARAIS
Instructor

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 VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon
ANSWER SHEET
LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON 1- MODULE 3)
The Information Age

Name: Score/Rate:
Course, Year and Block: Date:
Schedule: Teacher:

Uses of Facebook

1. Read the selection above entitled "The Effects of Using the Facebook” then present the positive and
negative effects of using the Facebook in a tabular form.

Positive Effects Negative Effects

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 VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon
ANSWER SHEET
LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON 3-MODULE 3)
The Role of Genes in Heredity

Name: Score/Rate:
Course, Year and Block: Date:
Schedule: Teacher:
Make a DIY DNA model and be able to explain the meaning of the parts of your model through video
presentation. Limit your presentation to 3 minutes only. I want to see you talking. Avoid unnecessary background
and avoid unnecessary clippings. Upload your presentation to our FB group.

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 VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon
ANSWER SHEET
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1 (LESSON 4-MODULE 3)
Biodiversity and Healthy Society

Name: Score/Rate:
Course, Year and Block: Date:
Schedule: Teacher:

SLOGAN

Make a short, meaningful and catchy advocacy that you think is timely, knowing that in our emerging
needs to endure in this world, biodiversity collapses and suffers just to provide our necessities for survival. Make
your own advocacy, NO DUPLICATION AND NO COPYING FROM THE INTERNET, this is an individual task.
Layout your slogan in this paper.

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 VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon
ANSWER SHEET

LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON 5- MODULE 3)

Genetically Modified Organisms: Science, Health and Politics

Name: Score/Rate:
Course, Year and Block: Date:
Schedule: Teacher:
Please make your handwriting readable.

Agree or Disagree. Discuss the topics below according to your opinions.

1. Use of genetically modified milk from animals for human baby consumption.

2. Economic concerns over moral issues on genetically modified (GM) food and food products.

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 VERITAS COLLEGE OF IROSIN
Irosin, Sorsogon
ANSWER SHEET
LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON 6-MODULE 3)
The Nano World

Name: Score/Rate:
Course, Year and Block: Date:
Schedule: Teacher:
Please make your handwriting readable.

What are the current uses or application of nano science and nano technology. Indicate your
sources/references.

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REFERENCES:

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