Ethical Ambiguity Of Transgenic Animals

“Genetic engineering and selective breeding appear to violate animal rights, because they involve manipulating animals for human ends as if the animals were nothing more than human property, rather than treating the animals as being of value in themselves” (Source A). Even though genetic engineering violates animal rights, it can be good for animals as well. Such as improving their resistance to diseases and removing characteristics that cause injury (Example: a cattle without horns). However, the cons to genetically engineering animals offsets the pros. Whenever animals are genetically engineered, it can lead to abnormalities. These abnormalities can range from heart discomfort to physical abnormalities (i.e. a body growing too fast that the growth of the legs are not able to grow at the same speed not be able to withstand the weight of the body). The abnormalities that the animals would have to live with from genetical engineering would cause the animal much pain. Therefore enforcing the fact that genetic engineering on animals is

In the afterward to this book, author Lee Silver, professor of molecular ecology and evolutionary biology and neuroscience at Princeton, states, "My goal has been to present both the scientific and the political realities of reprogenetic technologies as I see them, along with the ethical dilemmas their use will raise. I leave it to philosophers and bioethicists to figure out how these ethical dilemmas might be resolved." As the book opens, the reader is moved scene by scene further into the future when, ultimately, the development of genetic engineering and its accessability will have formed a world even more polarized

“We can change animals faster and in more profound ways than nature does on its own, but the point is that there’s inherently sacred about a species genome- it’s an amorphous, ever changing thing.”(Anthes, 48) One of the biggest controversies of biotechnology is that people are getting God-like powers seems how now scientists are able to engineer new traits into animals. Is that wrong? Morally, maybe. The fact of the matter is whether it’s immoral or not, we’ve been doing it for thousands of years, but now just faster and actually more efficiently. Scientists don’t plan on worsening animals or abusing them. “If you’re going to modify a line of animals, the resultant animals should be no worse off from a welfare point of view – and preferably better.”(Bernard Rollin) If nations eventually accept biotechnology more openly, and simply apply regulations stating that one cannot produce an organism that is not better off than it was before. That would ensure the protection of animals from unnecessary handicapped lives, and then the FDA would be more comfortable with allowing these biotechnological advances to be released to the

When discussing the issues faced from an ethical standpoint of animal rights it is important to consider the benefits animals bring to people and then question what rights animals are entitled to due to this (Fisher). Taking that into account, one must ask if giving them rights could possibly overstep on human rights and would animals even be able to enjoy rights (Fisher). It is often debated that the benefits and knowledge through experimentation of animals have led to life-saving advancements in the field of science and medicine (Fisher). The other side of the debate argues that even if these past benefits are justified, these type of experiments are no longer necessary and it is deemed unacceptable that wrongful treatment of animals is done for this purpose (Fisher). When it comes to the question of

This paper will discuss the GMO basis, ethical dilemmas associated with GMO, and my personal viewpoint.

In a life of technological advancement, human beings are faced with many ethical issues regarding the natural world. People have become capable of scientifically manipulating genes to create organisms that nature never intended to exist. Although scientists have the technology at their disposal, it begs the questions: Is it ethical to change living organisms to better satisfy our own needs? Do scientists know enough about the process of genetic engineering and the long-term effects of genetically altering a food supply, to determine if it is safe and environmentally sound? Many companies have made large profits on genetically altered produce. Tomatoes are bigger and corn is more golden. Consumers are happier. The government does not require that companies label their genetically engineered products. However, through regulation and knowledge, the government could be a crucial ethical force in controlling the impact of genetic engineering on industry and society.

Some people believe that genetically engineering an animal is not good, they consider it unethical and unfair to the animals. Opponents of genetic engineering consider these animals “test tubes with tails,” (Andrew B. Perzigan) they believe these animals are used only for the exploitive practice of farming or drug and organ manufacturing. Animal rights organizations also oppose genetically modified animals. They believe that the animals should “enjoy an inherent, natural right to be free of genetic manipulation in any farm” (Andrew B. Perzigan). The reason they believe

Genetically modified organisms are living organisms whose DNA is replicated in order to survive harsh conditions and they are also known as transgenic organisms because it involves the transfer of genes (author pg #). The use of biotechnology and artificial selection develops the way GMOs are created by finding desired traits in different organisms (Phillips 1). Phillips, author of “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DA Technology” includes in her article, “Crop plants, farm animals, and soil bacteria are . . . examples . . .that have been subject to genetic engineering” (Phillips 1). The ethics of GMOs is a widely controversial topic that has been discussed ever since

We currently possess the knowledge of how to use recombinant DNA, but instead of not using that knowledge, the knowledge should be used as long as moral and ethical boundaries are kept in place. There’s no doubt that the GM food supply should be closely monitored and regulated, but that does not mean that it should be banned. The Genetic Engineering of plants, animals, and humans has much to offer as long as we are sure of the potential benefits and side effects of its

The insertion of human genes into mammals is not only inducing conflict into nature's ecosystems, but can result in a new intelligent, human-like species that needs proper regulations and authority. The study of transgenic, or chimeric animals has brought about some serious ethical issues. Many people are only aware of the issues when it regards the human race. However, transgenics play much more of a role than just to our society, but greater damage is done to nature's ecosystems. Many consequences may be unleashed once a transgenic animal escapes back into the wild. The potential harms may include "the alteration of the ecologic balance regarding feed sources and predators...and the disruption of reproduction patterns and their success," (Animal Biotechnology). The quick extinction and endangerment of these animals can dwindle

Even when humans themselves are not being genetically modified there are still issues that arise when their genes are being taken to modify other crops and organisms. As more human genes are being used in non-human organisms to create new forms of life that are genetically partly human, new ethical questions arise. For instance, what percentage of human genes does an organism have to contain before it is considered human and how many human genes would a green pepper for example have to contain before it can be eaten without qualms. Human genes are now being inserted into tomatoes and peppers to make them grow faster. This suggests that one can now be a vegetarian and a cannibal at the same time. In addition to this people have the right to

Bioethics is a discipline that requires critical and reflective examination of ethical issues within the practice of science, biological research, health care and health policy. Ethical standards have always been intertwined within these disciplines, but they have evolved over the years as we, as a society, increase our knowledge and sensitivity regarding what practices are actually ethically responsible. Historically, we can look back a mere 50 years and question how research we viewed to be ethically sound was ever performed in the name of “scientific advancement”. Bioethics is a continual discussion that should take place with every new scientific gain, medical breakthrough

One of the most unfortunate realities relating to GMOs are the practices of the companies producing them and the governments protecting their behaviour. GMOs have become an international issue that greatly affects health, agriculture, the environment and national economies, which will be the focus of this speech. More specifically, this essay will argue that GMOs are more of a loss than a benefit to people’s health, the environment and local economies, and therefore GMO-producing companies must take on more ethical practices or cease to

Biotechnology is rapidly advancing, and in my opinion, society must adopt some safeguards in order to handle this rapid advance. The biggest safeguard that I believe society must adopt is, bioethics. Bioethics is the study of ethical issues involved in biological research. I believe that society must adopt bioethics as a safeguard because experts must think about the effect that biotechnology will have before using it. Bioethics should be highly considered because it does not defend one particular moral attitude, it takes into account all factors, whether it be right or wrong. Ethical decisions are needed for many biotechnological advances such as genetic cloning, the use of fetal tissues, and the genetic engineering of crops. Bioethics is needed in these types of biotechnological advances because they directly affect the heath of a human population, and experts are now required to think past it only working. Experts and societies should consider the effects on the human before and after doing these procedures on humans, especially because it could potentially change their whole life. Furthermore, society should consider the ethical questions raised, such as, will this help the human? How will it effect their life? Can I fix the negative outcomes? Will the positive surpass the negative? These are the safeguards that should be instituted using bioethics. Therefore, because of the rapid advances in biotechnology, the safeguard that should be instituted is bioethics,

Nowadays, with our continuous advancements in technology and engineering, the idea of genetic modifications is no mystery. A well known example of genetic engineering is found in the very food that we eat. We know this as genetically modified organisms or GMO’s as noted in Matthew Liao’s research paper titled, “Selecting Children: The Ethics of Reproductive Genetic Engineering.” However, GMO’s have been placed under