Genetic Engineering: Humanities Saving Grace or the End of the Human Race?

1212 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: negative effects of gm food

Genetic Engineering: Humanities Saving Grace or the End of the Human Race?
This is the first time history that humans can directly manipulate an organism’s genome to our own benefit. The first genetically modified organism, or GMO, was created in the seventies and has led to GM crops and GM medical treatments. The whole ideology is not new to humans. Artificial selection bred well mannered wolves into man’s best friend. And yet, the controversy has only arisen in the past decade or so. Those who support this specie of scientific advancement and those who wish to uphold their organic roots are butting heads with more passion than ever.
Essentially, every aisle of your local grocery store is stocked with genetically modified foods. Many crops have been altered for enhanced nutrition and virus resistance. With a changing climate and mass poverty, finding a way to feed the Earth’s seven billion people is a constant struggle. “In developing countries, GM crops have helped ensure food security and bolster incomes for farmers, allowing parents to focus more resources on other priorities, such as educating their children” (Van Montagu). Despite the obvious advantages, people still rally against food from GMOs. The Monsanto company’s corn has become something of a celebrity for the genetic alteration debate. “The sweet corn from Monsanto contains a gene that produces a protein called BT that is toxic to pests. Though the protein is used in organic farming as an insecticide, Hansen and other critics cite research that raises questions about whether corn containing BT can cause allergic reactions, immune system problems and gastrointestinal issues” (Eng). Hundreds of tests have been done but the results seem to change depending on who’s re...

... middle of paper ...

...hould be for the better.

Works Cited
Batabyal, Amitrajeeta A. "If Genetically Modified Foods Are so Bad, Where's the Proof?
(Commentary)." The Post-Standard. Syracuse Newspaper, 8 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Eng, Monica. "Activists: Modified Corn Not So Sweet." Chicago Tribune. 04 Aug. 2012: 1. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Naik, Gautam. "Aging Ills Reversed in Mice." Wall Street Journal. 29 Nov. 2010: A.3. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Van Montagu, Marc. "The Irrational Fear of GM Food." Wall Street Journal. 23 Oct. 2013: A.15.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Volti, Rudi. The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Society. Vol. II. New
York, NY: Facts on File Science Library, 1999. Print.
Wolpe, Paul R. "It's Time to Question Bioengineering." TEDxPeachtree. Nov. 2010. Ted. Keynote
Address. 8 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Choice Of Food: The Power Of Choice

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our attitudes toward GMO foods range from hostility to indifference. GMO foods, like pesticide-resistant Roundup Ready soybeans and fast-growing salmon, seem to exist primarily to pad corporate pockets. Most people are not aware that they are eating GMO foods. The greater percentage of the population is just looking at the price tag instead of what is in the food product. This technology has the potential to provide sustainable nutrient rich food sources throughout the ages if the science is not abused for the food industry’s

    Read More

  • Essay On Monsanto

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Monsanto is a multinational agricultural and agrochemical biotechnology corporation based in America and is the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds. Monsanto argues that using science and newfound research to create genetically modified food is necessary in order to save our world from starvation. Eduardo Blumwald, a professor of cell biology and employee for Monsanto, says that genetically modified food could be “the only viable solution we have for our future” (Ostrander 24) where it is predicted that the temperature and population will soar. Blumwald argues that without genetically engineering food to produce under high temperatures with little water, the world could potentially starve in this predicted future. Yet regardless of “biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit” (“GMO Facts”). Instead, Monsanto genetically modifies food to resist RoundUp, a pesticide the company has created to kill any plants or bugs other than the genetically engineered crop. According to the World Health Organization, this pesticide “is a probable human carcinogen” (“GMOs”) due to glyphosate, a

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering and the End of the World As We Know It

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" --- From a Song by REM

    Read More

  • Analysis Of How Dangerous Are GMO Food

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Genetically modified food is a significant issue that America is currently dealing with; it has affected millions around the world. Genetically modified food is crops, plants, and animals whose DNA has been altered for agricultural and nutritional reasons. In the Alltime Conspiracies video, “How Dangerous Are GMO Food” he argues that GMOs can have budding effect on humans, and the more we consume the more damage that is being done to our DNA cells. The author Alltime Conspiracy begins building his credibility with personal facts plus highly regarded sources, citing credible facts and statistics,

    Read More

  • Gmo Pros And Cons

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Biello, David. "Genetically Modified Crop on the Loose and Evolving in U.S. Midwest." Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 06 Aug. 2010. Web. 08 May 2014. .

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering: Brave New World

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms and How They Have Changed Food in America

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    Food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. Every day we make choices on what we put in to our bodies. There are countless varieties of food to choose from to meet the diverse tastes of the increasing population. Almost all food requires a label explaining the ingredients and the nutritional value allowing consumers to make informed decisions on what they are consuming. However, many may not be considering where that food is coming from or how it has been produced. Unfortunately, there is more to food than meets the eye. Since 1992, “ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that genetically modified foods were ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GM counterparts” (Why to Support Labeling). GM food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions and eventually put an end to world hunger in anticipation of the growing population. There is very little evidence to support these claims and study after study has proven just the opposite. GM crops are not only unsafe to consume, but their growing practices are harmful to the environment, and multinational corporations are putting farmers out of business.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering Good Or Bad Essay

    1661 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gmo Persuasive Speech

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    How many of you hear the words “genetically modified food” and immediately think “BAD”? How many of you scorn the idea that genetically modified foods are useful? How many of you have been manipulated by the media to think that all biotechnology is evil? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been genetically spliced to achieve a certain trait. As the demand for a larger food supply is increasing due to population growth, the benefits that GMO foods provide are being hailed as the only solution to the food crisis. However, many people are making inadequately informed decisions, and are pushing them to the back shelf. I will inform you on why genetically modified organisms may be the only way to a stable, safe future for the less fortunate.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most wonderful activity a human being can experience is new flavors and foods. For example, the first time a person tastes a delicious juicy piece of prime rib or a delightful hamburger with cheese and ham, his world is never the same. However, since the beginning of the twentieth century, the production of food has been supplemented by science. This has triggered an angry dispute between the people who support the advances of biotechnology and people who love nature. In order to understand the controversy, we have to know the meaning of genetically modified foods. With new technological advances, scientists can modify seeds from a conventional seed to a high tech seed with shorter maturation times and resistance to dryness, cold and heat. This is possible with the implementation of new genes into the DNA of the conventional seed. Once these "transgenes" are transferred, they can create plants with better characteristics (Harris 164-165). The farmers love it not only because it guarantees a good production, but the cost is also reduced. On the other hand, organizations such as Greenpeace and Friends of Earth have campaigned against GMO (“Riesgos”) because they think that they are negatively affecting the earth (Gerdes 26). Both the advocates and the opponents of genetically modified foods have excellent arguments.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Food are Pandora´s Box to Humans and the Environment

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Human Genetic Engineering

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Food (GMOs): Annotated Bibliography

    2902 Words  | 6 Pages

    Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.

    Read More

  • Human Genetic Engineering

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human genetic engineering can provide humanity with the capability to construct “designer babies” as well as cure multiple hereditary diseases. This can be accomplished by changing a human’s genotype to produce a desired phenotype. The outcome could cure both birth defects and hereditary diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Human genetic engineering can also allow mankind to permanently remove a mutated gene through embryo screening as well as allow parents to choose the desired traits for their children. Negative outcomes of this technology may include the transmission of harmful diseases and the production of genetic mutations. The benefits of human genetic engineering outweigh the risks by providing mankind with cures to multiple deadly diseases.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Genetic Engineering: Humanities Saving Grace or the End of the Human Race?

Open Document