User talk:BushyBrow0904

Adaptations and How They Help Julien Beacham Northwest Jackson IB World Middle School Year 3 Sciences(4B) Ms.S Evans, Instructor � Adaptation is a mutation, or genetic change, that helps an organism, such as a plant or animal, survive in its environment. There are two types of adaptation, structural and behavioral. Structural adaptation are physical features of an organism like the bill on a bird or the fur on a bear. However, behavioral adaptation are the things organisms do to survive. Adaptations usually occur because a gene mutates or changes by accident. Some mutations can help an animal or plant survive better than others in the species without the mutation. Adaptations help animals and plants by, allowing animals and plants to live successfully in their habitat, to escape from predators, and make it easier for predators to catch their prey. Adaptations allow animals and plants to live successfully in their habitats. Structural adaptations help animals live in their environment by allowing them to mutate. An example of this is the way some plants have adapted to life in the desert. Deserts are dry, hot places. Plants called succulents have adapted to this climate by storing water in their thick stems and leaves. Structural adaptations also allow animals to escape from predators and make it easier for them to catch their prey, by allowing both to be able to mutate. Behavioral adaptations also allow animals to live successfully in their habitats, They also help animals and plants with being able to escape from predators. It also makes it easier on the predator also. One example of this is the way that some species hunt or move. Predators like lions hunt in packs for an easier kill. Prey also do the same thing when they herd in packs, because they know that there is a strength in numbers. Although there are some similarities in how both adaptations help animals and plants survive, there are some unique ways they both help. For example, some animals like the Grey whales migrate thousands of miles every year as they swim from the cold Arctic Ocean to the warm waters off the coast of Mexico. Migration is a behavioral trait. Another example is animals being able to communicate with one another. That is also a behavioral trait. Both adaptations help animals and plants tremendously everyday. Adaptations stem from evolution, They allow animals to be able to communicate with one another. They also help prey and predators, either get away from danger or get a meal for the day. They also both, allow animals and plants to live successfully in their habitats.

References National Geographic Society. (2012, October 09). Adaptation. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/adaptation/ Structural and Behavioral Adaptations - NatureWorks. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep1.htm Structural/ Behavioral. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://adaptationswebquest.weebly.com/structural-behavioral.html

GMO Foods,Do Not Believe the Hype Julien Beacham Northwest Jackson IB World Middle School Year 3 Sciences (4B) Ms. S. Evans, Instructor

Northwest Middle School � A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The first GMO to be sold was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994. It was developed by Calgene and it was engineered to have a longer shelf life by inserting an antisense gene that delayed ripening. That GMO was tested more than regular tomatoes for diseases and other harmful things.The use of GMOs and their benefits outweigh the negatives, because there has been little to no proof that shows that GMOs have negative effects. GMOs have gained a bad name in the food market, but that is only due to fear and accusations made without proof. GMOs actually have many benefits according to inside.battelle.org. They listed examples such as biotechnology can be used to make foods more nutritious and also that GMOs can actually the amount of harmful pesticides that farmers use. Also, in the article it states that GMOs are most likely our best bet to adapt to changing global conditions. In another article by the New York Times, an analysis of 76 studies published in February in Scientific Reports by researchers in Pisa, Italy, found that GMOs contain lower amounts of toxins than commonly produced by fungi. However, many continue to believe that GMOs are harmful to eat and have negative effects. In an article done by medicalnewstoday.com, they note that some people believe that GMOs can cause allergic reactions. They also note the risk of cancer as another possible result of eating GMOs. Lastly in the article, they talk about antibacterial resistance as another consequence of eating GMOs. They state that “There is concern that genetic modification, which can boost a crop's resistance to disease or make it more tolerant to herbicides, could affect the ability of people to defend against illness.” On the contrary though, in the same article, they state a rebuttal or bring up the lack of evidence or the very unlikely chance of these consequences happening. When it came to the allergic reaction point, they state “that there have been no reports of allergic effects of any GMO foods currently on the market.” Also, in response to the claim that eating GMOs could cause cancer, they state in rebuttal a finding by the American Cancer Study, in which they found no evidence of this being anywhere near true. Lastly, in response to the claim about antibacterial resistance, they said “There is a small chance that the genes in food can transfer to cells the body or bacteria in the gut.” Also, they state that WHO said that the risk of gene transfer is very unlikely. In closing, I have shown you more than enough reasons of why the benefits of GMOs outweigh the negatives of them. I would like to just ask that those in the food market stop frowning on the title GMOs. Also, i would like for those who are buying the food, that we all do our research, before formulating an opinion, Many of us continue to believe that just because a product has a label that reads “non-GMO” that makes it better. However, as shown in this essay, GMOs are actually not harmful or bad at all. In some cases, they are actually less harmful or better for us.

� References Five Good Reasons to Support GMOs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://inside.battelle.org/blog-details/five-good-reasons-to-support-gmos Brody, J. E. (2018, April 23). Are G.M.O. Foods Safe? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html Barrell, A. (n.d.). Pros and cons of GMO foods: Health and environment. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324576.php