The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay - 608 Words

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!†¦show more content†¦Genetically engineering crops can also increase the shelf life our food, reducing amounts of waste, as products will keep longer. Animals can be genetically engineered to contain human genetic disorders, allowing us to carry out tests on them. This allows us to develop treatments for them that can later be administered to humans. These advantages seem hopeful, but they are yet to be proven. There are also many consequences and beliefs that genetic engineering is wrong for moral or religious reasons. The first disadvantage of genetically engineering crops is the likelihood of genes transferring from GM (genetically modified) crops to other crops. For example, oilseed rape can cross-pollinate wild relatives. This would reduce the variation of crops across the world, so if a new plant disease appeared that attacked that particular form of oilseed rape, then the possibility of some of the crop having any form of immunity to it is extremely unlikely, as they all have the same genes. Another disadvantage is any environmental damage would only show several years later, by which time it is too late. Any gene would have spread too far to be able to trace it all. There arent any 100% effective methods of testing the safety of genetically modified crops so it is not possible to be certain that a crop will have no negative effects on the environment before it isShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1676 Words   |  7 Pagesenergy gets passed on throughout each trophic level to how the positive/negative ions in water molecules can effect how they bind to each other/are attracted to one another. While going over the long unit known as genetics, one topic in particular left a mark in my mind: Genetic Engineering/modification. It opened a door to me that allowed me question our everyday life, questions flooded my mind. For example, I pondered things like, How could we use gene modification to create natural pesticidesRead MoreGenetic Engineering Pros And Cons1648 Words   |  7 PagesGENETIC ENGINEERING: PROS: Pros of genetic engineering are the facts that scientists and doctors in our generation could first and foremost discover new diseases and parasites and types of unheard cancers and illnesses before they spread further than they need too. The doctors can therefore invent a cure for this illness before it spreads really far and before anyone else gets sick. With the genetic engineering they can then stop the spreading and cure the diseases before it gets out of hand. ThisRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1662 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic engineering is the process whereby new DNA is added or existing DNA is altered in an organism s genome. This may involve changing one base pair (A-T or C-G) or deleting entire sections of DNA or adding additional copies of a gene. This results in creating new traits that were not previously present in the organism’s genome. This is done to selectively breed desired traits or to create plants with increased resistance to pestic ides and increased tolerance to herbicides. For example insulinRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering831 Words   |  4 Pages Genetic engineering is the growing science of the world and is increasingly under the spotlight over ethical issues. Is biotechnology going to save lives, rather than destroy them? and will the benefits outweigh the risks? The main problem with such questions is that we dont know the answer until we try them out. Like all sciences it is hard to predict outcomes, so far there have been more failures being told than success stories. Genetic engineering is the splitting of DNA out of an organism’sRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay830 Words   |  4 PagesScientists state that the world is constantly moving towards disorder, while the purpose in life is to bring order to the universe. Now genetic engineering is a very old science that has been in play for many years. Scientists have been creating genetically modified organisms and products for years. But we now have the knowledge and technology to do this on a drastic scale the world has never seen. Knowing that genetically modifying something turns it into something god did not create. Do we haveRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1101 Words   |  5 PagesGenetic engineering brings about great and marvelous things, yet it raised many ethical issues. Some encourage research, while others oppose against such a bizarre idea. Their arguments revolve around impacts on the environment, humans, and social values. This paper seeks to give an account of these issues and present a possible moral compromise. Ecological problems may be caused when genetically engineered species are introduced. It may offset the natural balance of a system and may even lead toRead MorePros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering1915 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Genetic engineering refers to any changes in genetic makeup that result from the direct manipulation of DNA using various technical methods† ( source 1). More simply put, genetic engineering involves cutting, pasting, and/or editing DNA, specifically targeted ones, to produce a valuable effect produce a useful or desirable characteristic in an organism. The results can greatly modify a certain species or even create a new one. The Biotechnology to do such things were only available in the 1970sRead MorePros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay1733 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many benefits of genetic engineering, but there are many risks too. Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population. Basically, scientists take DNA of one product and put it into another product to get a mixture of traits from both products. It’s like breeding different breeds of dogs to get a certain look or personality. Some people don’t mind what goes into genetically altered foods, while othersRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering1068 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Genetic engineering is a process in which scientists transfer genes from one species to another totally unrelated species. Usually this is done in order to get one organism to produce proteins, which it would not naturally produce. The genes taken from one species, which code for a particular protein, are put into cells of another species, using a vector. This can result in the cells producing the desired protein. It is used for producing proteins which can be usedRead MorePros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay2059 Words   |  9 Pages Genetic Engineering is highly controversial since some people believe that genetic engineering is playing God. As this fact there is opposition to the progression of the field by people who do not see the value in genetic engineering, or they fear what genetic engineering may lead to for us as people. There is a history of discover that belongs to genetic engineering, which has led to numerous products that have emerged which have brought numerous applications to the society of the world. Though