The third era of plant biotechnology involves a drastic change in the way crop improvement may be accomplished, by direct manipulation of genetic elements (genes). This process is known as genetic engineering and results in plants that are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs), to distinguish them from plants that are produced by conventional plant-breeding methods. Genetically modified plants can contribute desirable genes from outside traditional breeding boundaries. Even genes from outside the plant kingdom can now be brought into plants. For example, animal genes, including human genes, have been transferred into plants, a feat not replicated in nature.
See also: Public Concern, Economic Goals, Nutritional Goals, Novel Products, Plant Tissue Cultures
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