Social Implications

GM Health Hazards: Antibiotics
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Antibiotic resistance genes are used in the cell selection process of genetic engineering. They have no other use, yet the antibiotics remain in the product. Consumers ingest antibiotics without knowing that they can reduce the effectiveness of medical antibiotics taken for illnesses. When two antibiotics are combined in the digestive system they may negate each other. Additionally, resistance genes may be passed to animal and human pathogens and make them impermeable to antibiotics (van Dam et al. 1996).

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