The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Use of Gene Technology
The field of gene technology is an extremely vast and largely unknown
one. Within it are many different sections of application and within
these come many advantages and many disadvantages. It is a relatively
new area of science and as such many people are unaware of the full
potential of the applications of gene technology, or even the possible
negative repercussions. This gives rise to questions such as, 'Is it
right for us to play God?'
One of the largest areas of application of gene technology is in
medicine. The first practical use of genetic engineering was to use
bacteria as 'factories' to make substances that are useful to humans.
The prime example of this is insulin, where previously it had to be
obtained from animals for those people who needed regular insulin
injections. This process was more expensive, but it was also animal
insulin, so there was a high risk of side effects. With gene
technology, it is now possible to manipulate bacteria to produce vast
quantities of human insulin at a cheaper cost with no side effects.
Another practical use in medicine is to check unborn babies for
possible genetic disorders. With gene technology it is possible to
assess the likelihood of an unborn child being born with or developing
a disease that would seriously affect their life. With this
information, parents have the choice of keeping the baby or not, to
spare it from a seriously impaired or shortened life. An exciting and
likely prospect in medicine is gene therapy, which is being tested
currently. This would allow doctors to cure a disorder which was a
result of a...
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... (a right to privacy): 'Genetic profiles' pg.
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2) 'Biological Sciences Review' Volume 17 Number 2 November2004
- Advantages in agriculture: 'Birds, bees and superweeds' pg.24
- Disadvantages in agriculture: 'Birds, bees and superweeds' pg. 24
3) http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=3081
- Advantages in agriculture: 'Genetically modified food'
4) http://www.spinneypress.com.au/122_book_desc.html
- Advantages in agriculture: 'Debates- arguments for genetically
modifies foods'
- Disadvantages in agriculture: 'Debates- arguments against
genetically modified foods'
5) http://www.txtwriter.com/Backgrounders/Genetech/GEcontents.html
- Advantages in medicine: 'Medical applications'
- Advantages in crime fighting: 'DNA fingerprinting'
- Ethical disadvantages: 'Ethics and regulation'
Human gene therapy is a method used in the medical field that treats diseases at a molecular level, by solving the source of the problem; our genes. Today, diseases and disorders are commonly treated by solving the symptoms, the surface of the problem. Many disorders and diseases are caused by defective proteins and within those defective proteins are damaged and defective genes. These defective genes can be treated through gene therapy. Gene therapy is not new and has been developed and improved by researchers for the past couple years. Being an experimental technique, gene therapy also has its pros and cons, but so far is showing positive and rising success rates.
Gene patenting is a very controversial topic that have many scientists and researchers facing issues with their work. The patenting of genes raise many flags in the science world. Some examples of these cons of gene patenting are as follows. With all of this new technology coming out every day the government has a hard time regulated the work of these companies. The most controversial topic in gene patenting is that you can’t patent something found in nature. The final dispute about gene patenting is that those who patent the genes first have a monopoly on this gene, halting others from working with it. Gene patents should not be help by companies due to, halts in research, lack of monitoration, and the fact that you can’t patent something
One of the most necessary uses of genetic engineering is tackling diseases. As listed above, some of the deadliest diseases in the world that have yet to be conquered could ultimately be wiped out by the use of genetic engineering. Because there are a great deal of genetic mutations people suffer from it is impractical that we will ever be able to get rid of them unless we involve genetic engineering in future generations (pros and cons of genetic eng). The negative aspect to this is the possible chain reaction that can occur from gene alteration. While altering a gene to do one thing, like cure a disease, there is no way of knowing if a different reaction will occur at the cellular or genetic level because of it; causing another problem, possibly worse than the disease they started off with (5 pros and cons of gen. eng.). This technology has such a wide range of unknown, it is simply not safe for society to be condoning to. As well as safety concerns, this can also cause emotional trauma to people putting their hopes into genetic engineering curing their loved ones, when there is a possibility it could result in more damage in the
The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering The purpose of this coursework is to discuss the pro's and con's of genetic engineering. I have chosen to present my work by discussing the religious arguments in favour and against genetic engineering, designer babies, should parents have the right to choose their child's looks, sex and intelligence levels. I shall also be looking at the moral and ethical issues surrounding genetic engineering. =
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 today’s society, the medical field has accomplished many technological advances that has made peoples’ lives more beneficial. Currently, Scientists can only genetically modify an embryo’s gender or eliminate diseases ,but in the future there may be a development to design perfect babies by taking out certain genes. Regulation needs to be applied to limit genetic modification ,because it creates bias leading to racism of who fits the criteria for a perfect individual.Proponents of designer babies in today’s society suggest that new development of genetic enhancement benefits elimination of harmful diseases and gender determination. However, genetic technology can harm the child and deprive christian views of unconditional love and acceptance.Brave
Human genetic engineering is a technique of direct modification of the genome by the use of molecular engineering. In the recent developments, gene modification is referred to as gene editing, and it can be applied in various ways. Such ways may include germline genetic modification and somatic genetic modification. In somatic gene modification, the genes in the cells of a person are either cut, added, or changed with the aim of reducing the chances of a medical condition. Germline genetic modification involves changing the genes within a sperm, egg, or an early embryo. This technique may be referred to as “inheritable genetic modification” or “editing of genes for production”.
Think of a world where children are born healthy, without risk of disease. Where one’s quality of life can be improved with a simple surgery. Sound interesting? Though many Americans today have an opinion on gene manipulation, less than 10% of the population has an adequate knowledge and understanding of all the benefits and controversies of the technology (Funk). Many advancements are being made in the field of gene engineering, with parents yearning for the chance of one day possibly being able to give their children a better life. Lifespans are being elongated, deadly diseases are being eliminated, and more people are becoming interested in the technology. Genetic engineering should be viewed as ethical when dealing with deadly diseases or the improvement of one's physical well-being.
Transgenic technology is majorly used for growing petter plants that can inhabit cruel and unnatural habitats. But the thing is that if there Genes are rewritten, there is a big possibility of genetic mutation and might end up creating plants can carry disease that are incurable for man kind and might end up eliminating a variety of
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.
We as humans should determine the end line of the scientific process of discovery when it begins to result in bad things in concerns that may affect our species, nature, and our way of life. This is due to problems with gene doping, horizontal gene shifts could give increase to other pathogens, and the concern of animal welfare within genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering can have many possible risks. “Opponents of biotechnology and genetic engineering contend that too little is known about their overall impacts and that the risks outweigh the benefits”(“Biotechnology and Genetic..”). Opposers believe the possibilities of genetic engineering could harm people more than help them. Evidence shows that it is safer than the opposers often convey it to be. “Any new technology will have some risks, but the potential benefits of genetic engineering far outweigh the possible dangers”(“Biotechnology and Genetic..”). Genetic engineering offers people with life-threatening ailments a chance to live a full and healthy life. Genetic engineering’s benefits are well worth taking the risks.
Every human aspires to overcome his limitations and live beyond the centuries. From childhood he had a deep rooted fantasy to become like his favorite superhero. We all, at a certain point in life have desired to become immortal and forever get rid of the diseases wrapping the human life. With so many day-by-day advancements in technology attaining a superhuman status is not going to be a dream anymore in near future. We would be more intelligent after our mergence with the technology. At the forefront of this advancement is gene technology which “attempts to treat disease at its origin on the molecular level"(Kreeger, 1996). "Essentially, this technology deliberately introduces genes into the human cells to compensate for aberrant genes that
Scientists and the general population favor genetic engineering because of the effects it has for the future generation; the advanced technology has helped our society to freely perform any improvements. Genetic engineering is currently an effective yet dangerous way to make this statement tangible. Though it may sound easy and harmless to change one’s genetic code, the conflicts do not only involve the scientific possibilities but also the human morals and ethics. When the scientists first used mice to practice this experiment, they “improved learning and memory” but showed an “increased sensitivity to pain.” The experiment has proven that while the result are favorable, there is a low percentage of success rate. Therefore, scientists have concluded that the resources they currently own will not allow an approval from the society to continually code new genes. While coding a new set of genes for people may be a benefitting idea, some people oppose this idea.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering? To start with, genetic engineering is another term used for genetic manipulation, which is a process consisting the addition of new DNA to an organism. The whole purpose of this process is to add new traits that are not already available in the organism. Genetic engineering is often mistaken for breeding, which is a technique that is mostly used with animals in order to create faster or stronger offspring. Genetic engineering is however different from breeding because it uses much less natural techniques that are usually performed in the lab.