Essay on The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering - 831 Words

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’s gene, and then transplanted and recombined into a hosts DNA sequence. This method allows the host organism (if successful) to then show the desired trait or characteristic. This method promises to give us plants that can grow throughout†¦show more content†¦This means that the chemical’s poisonousness doesn’t affect the crop any more, in which case will allow us to be rid of weeds in areas where crops grow. Possible problems with this would be that if it bred with a wild relative, the relative would then show the characteristic of being herbicide tolerant and would then be immune to any chemicals sprayed on it, thus the creation of a superweed. This is also the case with pesticide tolerant crops, but this time the farmers can use any toxic chemicals that kill everything including pests and the crop will remain unaffected. These techniques show signs of promise in that it will help us reduce the number of weeds and pests, but altering the genetic structure of an organism is ethically wrong. Genetic engineering could be described as a killing machine, but could also prove to be the earth’s one and only saviour. With the world population predicted to increase to 10 billion people in the next 40 years, and with each person at the moment eating up to 1 tonne of food every year, the planet needs all the help it can get in order to survive. Genetic engineering could prove to increase yields of crops by up to 40%, as it is said that up to 70% of all fruits and vegetables become spoiled before even put on the market shelves. It seems that genetic engineering is one of the only sciences that can pull the species out of the whirlpool of extinction for another 100 or so years, but itShow 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 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. ThoughRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay608 Words   |  3 PagesThe 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