Reply #64: The big difference between genetic modification via

[truedelphi]

Animal or plant husbandry and genetic manipulation via biotechnology is this: when it is done without biotechnology, the genetic material has nothing from outside its own species affecting the plant (or animal). In other words, the strawberry is pollinated with another variety of strawberry, to hybridize the strawberry and bring about some desired trait.

But when it is biotechnology doing the genetic modification, then material from outside the species is used. Thus flounder genes are inserted in the genetic material of the strawberry or tomato. Thus BT (a bacterium o rviral material) is placed inside the corn. It also takes some type of viral material to aid in the process (known as a vector.) Mosaic cauliflower virus is one of the more common vectors.