Although humans have genetically modified animal and plants since the beginning of civilization, they did it through selective breeding possible only within the same species through natural reproduction over decades or centuries. Modern techniques, however, can transfer genetic material from one organism to another to instantly create utterly different variants. Since alien genes are not welcomed by the existing genes, suppressive techniques must be used to force the animal or plant to accept them. Such artificially mutated foods are a source of unresolved controversy over the uncertainty of their long-term effects on humans and food chains.
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