Genetic Engineering: Is the Human Race Ready?

1455 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: ethics concepts in genetic engineering

It is incredible to see how far genetic engineering has come. Humans, plants, and any living organism can now be manipulated. Scientists have found ways to change humans before they are even born. They can remove, add, or alter genes in the human genome. Making things possible that humans (even thirty years ago) would have never imagined. Richard Hayes claims in SuperSize Your Child? that genetic engineering needs to have limitations. That genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes, but not for “genetic modification that could open the door to high-tech eugenic engineering” (188). There is no doubt that genetic engineering can amount to great things, but without limits it could lead the human race into a future that no one today could even imagine. Agriculture is one area that has definitely been changed as a result of manipulating genes. Food can be grown indoors rather than growing it from the land. EPCOT, a part of Disneyworld in Florida is a fantastic place to see this in action. They actually grow some vegetables suspended in the air without their roots planted in anything. They have an entire ride dedicated to showing the new innovative ways Disney is growing plant life. It is a truly unforgettable experience seeing a plant hanging from the ceiling without any kind of pot attached. The usual scene of a plant is in the ground or in a pot, not hanging from the ceiling with its roots dangling below. They also had an intricate hydroponic system to guarantee the longevity of the plants. A reservoir was placed at the top of a spiral of plants that were segmented six to eight inches apart. This watering system watered the plants by water falling down from the very top plant, then trickling through each plant until ... ... middle of paper ... ...tle until it would be unrecognizable to the people of today. If this alteration of human genes is going to be permitted, someone needs to oversee that it is used for the good of the people, and nothing more. Ultimately, the government would be in charge of regulating genetic engineering, but the people should also be actively involved. Laws would need to be set in place to make sure that the technology cannot be legally used in harmful ways. Medical experts should be consulted in every step of the process, to ensure that the best interests of the people are being figured in. Even with all of the precautions listed above, someone somewhere would find a way around them. The wonderful prospects this technology could bring the human race should not be completely shut out because of this. However, it should be stressed that the people continue to proceed with caution

Show More
Related

  • Genetic Engineering: A Threat to Human Autonomy

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Genetic engineering will pose a threat to the life of humans. This is because the human body is very complicated and any tampering with the complex network of 22,000 genes can have unexpected and harmful consequences. Genetic engineering will also increase the unjust social class division and would only advantage the elite and the rich people in the society. Genetic engineering in “Designer Babies” will not give people the ability to choose what they want to pursue in their life. Therefore, genetic engineering should be banned so that its potential ruinous effects can be prevented. It is wrong in every aspect and should be declared illegal for the betterment of humanity in the near

    Read More

  • Human Genetic Engineering in Beneficial to Society

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even after thousands of years of evolution, the human race is not perfect: it is ravaged by disease and limited by nature. Yet, in recent times, researchers have begun to ascertain an advanced understanding of the underlying genetic code of humanity. The Human Genome Project, now complete, has provided a map of the intricacies in human DNA, allowing researchers to begin looking at the purpose of each gene. When combined with selective embryo implantation, which is used occasionally today to avoid hereditary diseases or to choose gender, genetic discoveries can become a sort of artificial evolution. By changing the genes in embryos before implantation, humanity has the potential to control many aspects of its offspring. The human race should welcome human genetic engineering, because the technology will inevitably be used, is ethically sound, and provides opportunity for advancement in prevention of disease and enhancement of the human body.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering: Brave New World

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of genetic engineering impacts the world, how genetic engineering works, how people opinions are influenced, how the side effects can be devastating, how the genetic engineering can be beneficial for the society and also how the ethical issues affect people’s perspective.

    Read More

  • The Dark Side of Genetic Engineering

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    I never knew what genetic engineering was until I watched a special on the Discovery channel. The special showed scientists forming the first “perfect” embryo. What was very shocking was that the scientists kept asking each other what traits this embryo should compose of. To me that was disturbing and unethical to make a living human being based on what traits the parents would want them to have. This process goes against nature just as Francis Bacon said “if we would control nature, we must first obey her” (Fox 193). Genetic Engineering does not end world hunger or cure diseases but it takes lives, harms the environment and causes new diseases to emerge.

    Read More

  • Gmos Research Paper

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scientists are using various methods of genetic engineering to improve the human lifestyle. Major fields of industry are effected by genetic engineering such as the Medical, Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Industries. For example, in the Medical field, GMOs are involved in the production of insulin which can help with diabetes. In the production of vaccines, a virus’s DNA changes with the addition of extra genetic material, to help cure diseases. Also in Agriculture, by modifying a plants genetic information food yield can increase and herbicide and insect resiliency is improved. These are just a few examples of how GMOs are involved in

    Read More

  • The Implications Of Genetic Engineering: The Future Of Genetic Engineering

    2320 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine how it would feel walking into the hospital with a failing heart and being able to get a transplant of your own organ. Humans are born with only one copy of the organs for each function required by the body. Despite the ability to recover certain cells, not everything within the body is able to regenerate itself. With the now never-ending possibilities of our advancing technology, genetic engineering has entered the lives of humans in ways that were never before expected. Genetic engineering is a modern topic that should be implemented at a greater rate because it helps us fight problems that are beyond basic medicine, it prolongs life, and increases the quality of it by adding techniques to treatment rather then more medication.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects of Genetic Engineering

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although many outcomes of genetic engineering can be considered positive because they benefit humankind, genetic engineering has much more disadvantages which pose a much more negative effect on society. If humankind cannot come to an agreement on genetic engineering then the result could be a war much more destructive than wars like World War II. “Genetic engineering also brings with it concerns over intellectual property, and patenting of created animals and/or techniques used to create them (Hormany, et al).” Genetic engineering should be banned regardless of the benefits.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Human Genetic Engineering

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the ongoing debates in the biomedical engineering field today is about the human genetic engineering. Imagine being able to design your own baby the way you want it to be or mean to say “perfect” before it is even born, or prevent your unborn child from an outrageous disease, or make your baby a smarter, stronger, or even an athlete. You can even decide the sex of your baby. With the advanced technology you can even choose the physical feature of your child. Although human genetic engineering might seem attractive for these reasons, it should not be done because it defies nature, leads to less diversity and raises moral and ethical concerns.

    Read More

  • Genetic Modification In Brave New World

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Genetically modifying human beings has the possibility of greatly reducing/completely eradicating disease and could allow for longer lifespans within the near future. However, there are many issues associated with genetic engineering including being misused for ulterior motives and ethical problems. While there is good that can come from genetic engineering, the many detriments associated with it far outweigh the few positive outcomes. In his novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley’s idea of genetic modification is far more extreme and unethical than any current real world technologies, but if the technology continues to rapidly grow, Huxley’s future may not be that far off from the truth.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Genetic Engineering

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, genetic engineering in humans is a highly controversial topic of discussion. It theoretically has the potential to extend life spans, eliminate genetic disease, and create designer babies. However, much of these processes are purely based on theory as genetic engineering in humans is a relatively untested area of science. The moral and ethical issues that arise in discussion on the topic prove exceeding difficult to resolve, due to the evenly weighted pros and cons, both possessing valid perspectives. It is doubtful that there will ever be agreement, due to the high level of dispute, but we can’t yet give up on the idea, as it offers hope for the future that no other medical treatment can.

    Read More

  • Advantages Of Genetic Modification Of Human

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout modern day society, many people have thought about or have come in contact with the issue of genetically modified human engineering, and whether or not this topic is justifiable. There are many disadvantages to the practice of altering human genes. Genetically modifying human genes would invoke conditional love from the parents of the child and could potentially instill a mentality of unhealthy perfectionism, as well as consumerism. If the alteration of human genetic data was acceptable, then parents who would choose their children’s genes would set unrealistic expectations on their child’s performance. Genetically modifying human genes would also attribute to the erosion of social and civil

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering: The Benefits Outweigh the Negatives

    2003 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine a disease free world, overcoming diseases that we don’t currently have a cure for, or having an increased life span for those who can’t get enough of life. Or how about changing the food available now into food that won’t spoil so fast, more of it being accessible so it won’t cost so much, or maybe using fewer chemicals and herbicides on our plants because they are genetically altered so that bugs won’t bother them. These are all things that are achievable with genetic engineering.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering is Immoral

    423 Words  | 1 Pages

    If a limit is not set between using genetic engineering for treatment and using genetic engineering for enhancement, then many parents could use it purely for eugenic purposes. This could cause ethical concerns but social concerns as well. If this was allowed to occur, it would also give the rich even more advantages than they already have to begin with and drive the social classes even farther apart. The use of genetic engineering may also lead to genetic discrimination. As in the movie Gattaca, a person could easily get a print-out of his or her genotype, this information could then be used by schools, employers, companies, and others; giving rise to a new form of discrimination based on a person’s genetic profile. As the world is already full of discrimination, genetic engineering would even increase the numbers of discrimination against people.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering: The Negative Impacts of Human Manipulation

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although genetic engineering was once a totally impractical thought, today, it is a prominent issue around the world. The most controversial subject of genetic engineering deals with the impact that the manipulation of humans will have on the earth. The genetic engineering of humans will negatively impact the world due to the resulting social issues, religious objections, and medical concerns. Major social concerns of genetic engineering include the conformity of society, custody battles, and the power of parents and scientists to manipulate children's genes. The genetic engineering of humans provides scientists and parents with a sense of power in which they feel they know what kind of person is acceptable to live in society.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering and Cloning

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Safety of genetic engineering is something that presents much concern. Looking at the current precautions and previous precautions of the biotechnological industry can clear up the safety issue. The FDA and State Governments impose limits such as the illegalization of human cloning and limits on other genetic engineering processes. The only legal forms of genetic engineering that are used today are in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, and sperm banks.

    Read More

More about Genetic Engineering: Is the Human Race Ready?

Open Document