Genetic Engineering

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Imagine a world where diseases can be found and prevented before they happen. This would be a future possibility if genetic engineering became more advanced. Genetic engineering is when parts of DNA are spliced into another piece of DNA which give new traits to the organism containing the DNA. Through continued research in the field of genetics, techniques such as mapping genomes and splicing DNA can be used beneficially to improve on existing organisms and their traits.

To help understand genetic engineering, it is important to understand its history. Genetics originated when Gregor Mendel performed experiments on the genetic inheritance on plants. This was the beginning of the science of genetics and his experiments on pea plants was the basis for inherited traits. Genetics really exploded when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the DNA molecule in 1953. This was a monumental discovery because they had discovered the shape of the molecule and also how it was structured. People were now interested if they could change or modify this structure. This eventually led to Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer mixing two different organisms' DNA over twenty years later. This was another huge leap in genetics because earlier it was thought that mixing different organisms' DNA to be impossible. Since these breakthroughs, the field of genetics has exploded with new research and ideas to help improve society.

Genetic engineering is crucial to improving the health of organisms through early detection or by actually changing the DNA itself. If scientists were able to map out genomes of organisms, it would help them to find and prevent diseases. If some diseases were hereditary (inherited) they could be caught early and ...

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...the effects that altering of DNA will create so society needs to be careful. The advantages of genetic engineering are endless, but things like cloning and “tailor made” children are pushing the limit because they cause many moral and ethical issues. However, if society uses it to improve the lives of people it can be a very powerful tool.

Works Cited

"Cloning." Wikipedia. 28 Oct. 2007 .

"Genetic Engineering." 28 Oct. 2007 .

"Genetic Engineering Advantages & Disadvantages." Biology-Online.Org. 28 Oct. 2007 .

"History of Genetic Engineering." 28 Oct. 2007 .

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