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. Many people think that genetic engineering should be illegal. Some general reasons are that biotechnologists want to be some sort of God or that changing what already exists is immoral. Though there is some substance to the position that genetic engineering may be immoral, the belief that biotechnologists just want to be God is a weak argument. It is assumed by a bible verse that God intended to give us power over creatures on earth once we found a way to do so. There are also other reasons why some think that genetic engineering should be illegal, but there is a lot of other evidence to show that genetic engineering has the potential to be very helpful. The field that benefits the most is agriculture. In addition, the pharmaceutical field, the medical field, and other things that affect the entire population either directly or indirectly also benefit. Genetic engineering can save lives, enhance lives, produce more food, make food last longer, create medicine to combat diseases that currently have no cure, offer alternative medications for people who can’t take a certain type, and many other things. So the question is: which side is right? There isn’t a right side. But, genetic engineering can really help this world. However, there are some pe... ... middle of paper ... ...troversy.” Genetic ID. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. . Leutwyler, Kristin. “Scientists Grow Plants without Sunlight or Water.” Scientific American. N.p., 15 June 2001. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. . Oak, Manali. “Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering.” Buzzle. N.p., 22 Aug. 2008. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. . “Prenatal Genetic Testing.” Women’s Forum. Women’s Forum, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. . Thomas, Wayne R., Belinda J. Hales, and Wendy-Anne Smith. “Genetically engineered vaccines.” SpringerLink. Current Medicine Group LLC, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2010.
The introduction to the article and the following six paragraphs are not composed of opinions or viewpoints. The general facts and methods of genetic engineering are described, and the companies behind the research are introduced. Loaded words are used in this part of the article but are not very common.
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
18 Apr. 2013. . "Genetically engineered foods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 5 July 2012.
Genetic Engineering has recently become a contentious topic within medical and social circles. Controversial topics such as Sex Selection and Designer Babies are linked to Genetic engineering. They are destructive in every circumstance. Genetic Engineering is detrimental towards the individual and all posterity.
Although humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years through artificial selection and other non-scientific means, the field of genetic engineering as we now know it did not begin until 1944 when DNA was first identified as the carrier of genetic information by Oswald Avery Colin McLeod and Maclyn McCarty (Stem Cell Research). In the following decades two more important discoveries occurred, first the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, by Watson and Crick, and next the 1973 discovery by Cohen and Boyer of a recombinant DNA technique which allowed the successful transfer of DNA into another organism. A year later Rudolf Jaenisch created the world’s first transgenic animal by introducing foreign DNA into a mouse embryo, an experiment that would set the stage for modern genetic engineering (Stem Cell Research). The commercialization of genetic engineering began largely in 1976 wh...
Science and technology are rapidly advancing everyday; in some ways for the better, and in some, for worse. One extremely controversial advance is genetic engineering. As this technology has high potential to do great things, I believe the power genetic engineering is growing out of control. Although society wants to see this concept used to fight disease and illness, enhance people 's lives, and make agriculture more sustainable, there needs to be a point where a line is drawn.
Coker, Jeffrey Scott. "Genetic Engineering Is Natural and Should Be Pursued." Genetic Engineering, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
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.
Human Genetic Engineering: Designing the Future As the rate of advancements in technology and science continue to grow, ideas that were once viewed as science fiction are now becoming reality. As we collectively advance as a society, ethical dilemmas arise pertaining to scientific advancement, specifically concerning the controversial topic of genetic engineering in humans.
In conclusion and my personal opinion, genetic engineering could lead to a technically better and more advanced world despite the fact that it suffers from deep moral downfalls. The main issue that causes debate seems to be if artificial superiority is a viable alternative to nature. It could work in society if people only used it for things such as evading cancer, but if a new social class is formed or people start creating super humans, it’s unquestionably a problem.
The controversy of these issues stems from the immense potential in genetic sciences for both positive use and harmful misuse. Though the questions and fears of critics reflect the wisdom of caution, the potentially unlimited benefits mandate that we pursue these technologies.
The moral question of genetic engineering is answered by looking at the advances in medicine. Today the advancements in medicine are evolving at an extremely high rate. If the science of genetic engineering is wrong, then so are the rest of the advances in medicine. The reason is because genetic engineering is just another form of medical advancement. Gene manipulation is not going to be used for any other purpose except for the treatment and elimination of disease. The one thing that people need to realize is the potential of genetic engineering. Try to visualize what parents of a child is dying from a disease like multiple sclerosis think about the benefits of genetic engineering.
The moral conflicts put aside, the process of genetic engineering is difficult. Changing the proteins in people’s body differently is an unnatural action. Scientists state that genetic engineering only works 50% of the time. Also, when a new gene is placed in the gene code, there will be various mutations that will definitely result in change but may not be for the better.
Roach, John. High-Rise Farms: The Future of Food?. N.p., 30 June 2009. Web. 30 Oct.
Genetic Engineering may or may not be beneficial. In terms of being an advantage, it can help decrease the death rate by destroying disease and has the potential to increase the lifetime of humans. Based on what scientists have discovered , genetic engineering is used as a beneficial technique to slow down the aging process of people, meaning it helps to store more life existence. Cloning is one of its biggest successful advantages which developed a whole new discovery in today’s life making life more interesting and easier. This cloning process has made it pos...