Genetic Engineering and Cloning

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Genetic Engineering and Cloning

What are the principle, ethical issues and experimental procedures used in genetic engineering and cloning? Should Cloning be allowed to continue?

In the 1970's, scientists discovered that strands of DNA could be cut using special enzymes, which could cut out genetic combinations. DNA contains information about genes particular organisms hold. Duplicates of genes are also possible through genetic engineering and are very useful for medical purposes. Advances in technology have raised issues such as animal and human cloning. These issues have caused many different sided arguments.

Some people feel that cloning should be banned, however never seen to see its medical value. There are already drug and medicine manufactures all over the world that are working on products that can be produced in cows' milk or even sheep or goats milk when the trait is cloned. Right now they are trying to produce vaccines against Malaria, antibodies against HIV, as well as proteins to treat haemophilia, muscle disease, internal intestinal infections, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis and emphysema. These same companies are also working on proteins to help digest fat and proteins to serve as nutritional supplements for infants, as well as different proteins, which are found in human blood, in cow's milk. None of these treatments would be possible in the future if cloning were banned.

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.

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.

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