What is Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living things that have had their genes changed to give them special abilities.

Imagine you're playing with building blocks, each block is like a gene that gives a plant or animal its traits. Now, suppose you want your plant to grow bigger and faster, so you swap in a new block from another plant. That’s what happens with GMOs, scientists take a gene from one living thing and put it into another.

Think of a tomato that can resist bugs, it's like giving the tomato a special power. Scientists find a gene from a bug-resistant plant and add it to the tomato’s genes. Now, this tomato has a new ability, it doesn’t get eaten by insects as easily!

You might have seen this in action with your favorite snack or vegetable at the grocery store, that's a GMO working hard behind the scenes!