Final answer:
Genetic engineering involves modifying an organism's DNA to create GMOs with desirable traits, such as nutritionally enhanced 'golden rice' or crops resistant to pests and herbicides. This biotechnological advancement has led to improved crop resilience and the potential for significant health benefits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genetic engineering is a cutting-edge scientific process where an organism's DNA is modified using recombinant DNA technology to express desirable traits. This involves creating chimeric molecules that combine genes from different species in a test tube, which can lead to the production of a genetically modified organism, or GMO. For example, by inserting genes that produce beta-carotene into rice, scientists have created 'golden rice', a GMO that could potentially mitigate vitamin D deficiency. Similarly, Bt corn has been engineered with genes from Bacillus thuringiensis to produce a protein toxic to certain insects, thus protecting the crop from pests like the corn borer moth.
Transgenic organisms are a type of GMO where the foreign DNA comes from a different species. These advances have led to significant agricultural benefits, such as herbicide-resistant soybeans and borer-resistant corn commonly found in processed foods. The transformation process requires the insertion of recombinant DNA into a living cell and selective breeding to ensure the modification is successfully carried over to new generations.
Through the careful and specific application of these techniques, biotechnology has allowed for the precise modification of organisms to meet various human needs, from medical applications to the improvement of crop resilience and nutritional profiles.