Final answer:
GMOs are highly beneficial for producing essential drugs like insulin, enhancing the nutritional content of crops such as GMO rice, and reducing the need for harmful pesticides in crops like GMO cotton. These applications demonstrate the diverse advantages genetic engineering brings to healthcare and agriculture.
Step-by-step explanation:
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are incredibly useful for a variety of reasons. The direct answer to the question 'How are GMOs useful?' is D. All of the above.
GMOs can be engineered to display a range of beneficial traits. For instance, biotechnology has enabled us to modify bacteria to produce human proteins such as insulin and other pharmaceuticals. This is significant for conditions such as diabetes, where patients require insulin that is identical to what their bodies would naturally produce. Previously, insulin was derived from animals and could cause allergic reactions in humans due to slight differences in structure.
In agriculture, GMO crops offer improvements over traditional crops, including enhanced nutritional content, increased yields, and better resistance to pests and diseases. For example, GMO rice has been developed to contain additional vitamins, combating nutritional deficiencies in regions where rice is a staple but diets lack certain essential nutrients. Furthermore, GMO cotton has been engineered to resist pests, which reduces the need for harmful pesticides that can contaminate the environment.
All of these applications of GMO technology contribute to a more secure and sustainable food supply, improved health outcomes, and more efficient agricultural practices. They represent the remarkable potential of genetic engineering to solve practical problems and improve human well-being.