The Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering has been a major topic of discussion ever since
'Dolly' the sleep was cloned. Its raises ethical, moral and religious
questions due to the fact it is tampering with the makeup of
organisms, and certain religions believe it is not our right to do
this.
Genetic engineering involves the re-arranging of DNA sequences,
artificial horizontal gene transfer and cloning. There has been little
progress in the re-arranging of genes in the last several years, due
to the complexity of the problem, as there is no technique developed
to analyse the sequence of DNA quickly. The analysis of E-coli DNA
sequence took 12 years! Artificial horizontal gene transfer is a
method of gene transfer between different species. Scientists transfer
some known 'small' genes to another species to improve their
functions. There are many unknown factors of this, as well as a low
success rate, so very few products exist. As for cloning, the only
clone is 'Dolly' the sheep, who was genetically duplicated from a
complete set of adult chromosomes. Scientists have been unable to
repeat the experiment, so many of them question its validity.
There are advantages to genetic engineering; despite the fact we are
more informed of its possible dangers. These advantages are mainly
known in the advantages of genetically modified crops (or GM foods).
Plants can be produced that are resistant to plant diseases (like
fungi) and animal pests (like insects). Plants could also be created
that could survive in less favourable conditions, such as poor soil
quality, such as giving plants a nitrogen fixing cap...
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...ke.
Another argument is that the manipulation of plant and animal DNA
could be leading to the genetic manipulation of humans, which would
cause a public outcry.
Should we be allowed to tamper with genetic make-up when it has
progressed without interruption from humans for billions of years?
Religious people believe we should not tamper with what god created.
Should we be carrying out research into an area many people feel
strongly against? These are the kinds of moral questions we should
consider before we take this any further, although scientists are
proceeding with research without fully considering the beliefs of
other people, believing they are doing is right. Surely we should be
seriously considering the implications of our actions involving
genetic engineering, as the next breakthrough could be tomorrow.
A person's individuality begins at conception and develops throughout life. These natural developments can now be changed through genetically engineering a human embryo. Through this process, gender, eye and hair color, height, medical disorders, and many more qualities can be changed. I believe genetically engineering a human embryo is corrupt because it is morally unacceptable, violates the child's rights, and creates an even more divided society.
Because of the increase in population, products need to be manufactured in a faster and more efficient way, and with genetically modified foods, the food is larger in size and quicker to harvest. Another advantage of GM foods is that it uses less fertilizer and less water and is more resistant to insects, diseases, frost, and drought. Consumers would not want to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of possible health hazards and growing GM foods can help eliminate the use of chemical pesticides. Plants that are genetically engineered to resist strong herbicide will help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. This will benefit both the companies and the environment because the production cost is reduced and the danger of agricultural waste run-off is limited. As more land is being used for housing instead of food production, crops need to adapt to locations unsuited
Scientists have edited the DNA of non- viable embryos. It is argued that it’s the first step for parents being able to design their own children. Sarah Knapton (April 23) stresses the risks of Genetic Engineering by questioning the motivations of Genetic scientists. By stating that these genetic scientists want their names in a history books. Genetic engineering implies ethical issues and safety issues. Oxford professor conducted a test. 71 embryos survived and 54 were genetically tested. 28 were spliced and some of the contained a replacement genetic material. It was found that there was unexpected mutations that shouldn’t off been effected by the technique. However, the Chinese scientist states that the embryos were non-viable. Is this a safe practice if the researchers are contradicting themselves? Universal laws guided by ideologies that help promote the health and wellbeing of society using principles of equality and justice. Equality and justice are two values that need to be incorporated in this practice to make sure the focus on genetic engineering will be utilized for life saving reasons.
Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of genetic engineering impacts the world, how genetic engineering works, how people opinions are influenced, how the side effects can be devastating, how the genetic engineering can be beneficial for the society and also how the ethical issues affect people’s perspective.
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.
And so, the idea that it is perfectly acceptable for scientists to freely manipulate the course of nature is ridiculous. Genetic engineering is by no means a tool to be tampered with or abused, especially when it defies so many natural laws. Would you be prepared to take responsibility for the extinction of a species purely because curiosity got the better of you?I think not. And for that reason it is my firmly held belief that we should stop meddling with a force as unpredictable as nature - for we will have no one else to blame for the outcome other than ourselves.
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.
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.
Before we begin to delve into the ethical depths of biotechnology and genetic engineering, we must first understand how this technology works. To do this let’s start by discussing cells. All organisms are made up of microscopic entities called cells. The human body consists of about ten trillion cells of about two hundred different types, such as skin cells, blood cells, and muscle cells. To gain a general understanding of how cells work, we will look at some of the simplest cells possible- bacteria cells. Once we have an understanding of how bacteria work, it is not hard to see how cells function in other organisms.
The Problem Genetic engineering has been around since the 1960’s, although major experiments have not been really noticed until the 1990’s. Science comes in different forms, the two major being cloning and genetic reconstruction. Cloning is the duplicating of one organism and making an exact copy. For example, in 1996 the creation of the clone sheep named Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned, which was a great achievement. The other form, genetic reconstruction, is used to replace genes within humans to help or enhance the life of an unborn child for a medical reason or just for the preference of a parent.
Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use to benefit the lives of humans or other organisms, in bettering their lives. (Essays, UK. (November 2013). Can Genetic Engineering Be Regarded As Biotechnology Biology?. April 2014, http://www.ukessays.com/essays/biology/can-genetic-engineering-be-regarded-as-biotechnology-biology-essay.php?cref=1)
Although genetic engineering seems to be more harmful than helpful, when used correctly, it will help the society prosper. Considering the technology our society has currently developed, genetic engineering is a difficult topic to discuss and confirm. If the researchers confirm this process, it may become easier for the scientists and will help cure the diseases easily. The debate, however, will still be on the rise because of the issue in human morals and ethics.
One of the most important pros about GMOs that everyone is concerned about is that it will produce a longer shelf life, which will make it safer to transport to different countries. GMOs can also supply more nutrients and help fight world malnutrition, making it better for Americans to eat, by making it healthier. “Seeds are genetically modified for multiple reasons, which include improving resistance to insects and generating healthier crops. This can lower the risk of crop failure, and make crops better resistant to extreme weather.” (Mandel).
Genetic engineering increases the agricultural economy, the yields of agricultural produce, and also causes negative effects on the ecosystem. Genetic engineering enhances plant resistance to drought, salinity, disease, pests and herbicides. The aim is to try and enhance the growth, productivity, nutrient value, and chemical composition of the plants. Chemicals are constantly being developed or improved to enhance the competitiveness and adaptability of crops, and to kill the parasites and weeds that plague the agricultural sector. . This however is not always good as the plant and the pests then become resistant to these new chemicals, defeating the purpose of it being used.
middle of paper ... ... Also, even though this process is beneficial by producing positive effects on plants, there is still a chance of it producing uncertain effects of genetically modified products to the environment as well as the human health. Genetically modified organisms can contaminate our environments and the big issue here is once it starts to spread, we as humans are unable to stop either the good or bad effects. The spread of antibiotic resistance, the creation of dangerous novel pathogens and diseases,the loss of biodiversity in farming, unsustainable agriculture, and the creation of new viral diseases through transfer are all harmful components of genetic engineering. This process is also considered a disadvantage because it offends religion when it questions whether man has the right to manipulate the right and coarse nature.