The Bright Future of Genetic Engineering

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The Bright Future of Genetic Engineering

Imagine the major food crops - corn, wheat, rice, soybeans - which can resist diseases - and resist pests - and create their own fertilizers - and resist extremes of weather. Imagine potatoes containing more protein, and other vegetables and fruits which contain more nutrients, taste better and resist rot. Can you imagine tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Imagine what such food crops could mean for a world population which will double in less than 40 years. Imagine a fundamental revolution in health care - with treatments and perhaps even cures for heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, cancer and AIDS. Richard J. Mahoney, 1993 (Wekesser 30)

Genetic engineering is a topic which has come under great scrutiny and debate. Since its appearance on the scientific stage in 1973 (Wekesser 23), it has been heralded as everything from the discovery of a fountain of youth to the harbinger of the death of humanity. In reality, genetic engineering is none of theses things. In simple terms, it is merely the utilization of one or more techniques for the purpose of modifying the DNA of an organism (Britannica V, 178). By modifying DNA, scientists today can eliminate some genetic diseases, they can manipulate plants and animals for increased food production and they can help protect against certain environmental hazards. Though genetic engineering is still in its infancy, its potential to benefit mankind is unprecedented. As such, it is a field that must be explored to its fullest.

There are many facets to genetic engineering. The most common of these is recombinant DNA. This is a process through which the DNA of one organism is taken and combined with the DNA of another organism. The...

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... Heredity: The Physical Basis of Heredity.?The New Encyclopedia Britannica: Macropedia. 15th ed., 1989.

“Genetic Engineering.?The New Encyclopedia Britannica: Micropedia. 15th ed., 1989.

McCuen, Gary E. Manipulating Life: Debating the Genetic Revolution. Hudson, Wisconsin: Gary E. McCuen Publications Inc., 1985.

O’Neill, Terry, ed. Biomedical Ethics: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1994.

Rosenthal, Nadia. “Molecular Medicine: Tools of the Trade - Recombinant DNA.?The New England Journal of Medicine 04 August 1994: 315+.

Ubell, Earl. “Should You Consider Gene Testing??Parade 12 January 1997: 8+.

Voelker, Rebecca. “A Clone by Any Other Name Is Still an Ethical Concern.?Journal of the American Medical Association 02 February 1994: 331+.

Wekesser, Carol, ed. Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1994.

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