Gattaca Genetic Engineering

With new technology it allows us to further research to attempt to benefit humanity and the environment people live in. As well as the genetic engineering playing a positive role in helping with “agriculture, aquaculture, bioremediation, and environmental management, both in developed and developing countries. However, deliberate or inadvertent releases of genetically engineered organisms into the environment could have negative ecological impacts under some circumstances”(Coker 24). With the engineering of plants and medicines, there seems to be no harm done if something were to go wrong and hurt the plant or the medicine just doesn’t turn out right. There comes a point when scientists cross a line and that is when they start to create designer babies. With designer babies, it gives the mother and the father the ability to change and enhance the outcome of their child. The parents are given the opportunity to improve the way their child's “eyesight could be greatly improved, perhaps even allowing [them] to see wavelengths of light that are currently ‘invisible’ to us” (Coker 26). Having a child with not only enhanced eyesight, but with them having your choice of hair color, the eye color you have chosen, or allowing them to have enhanced strength people are interrupting the natural way a child is supposed to be created. A child who has been genetically engineered to have enhanced strength is a child how going to ruin the way sports are played fairly. A child who has been born naturally and has had nothing altered about him will be no match against a genetically engineered one. Some people would take into consideration that the religious church would believe that genetically engineering anything is not moral. Inside “the moral evaluation of germ line cell therapy is different. Whatever genetic modifications are effected on the germ cells of a person will be transmitted to any potential

In the movie, Gattaca, there are countless of advantages and disadvantages to having a society like that portrayed in the movie. As for the advantages, the people in the movie was genetically superior therefore they had no sign of bad genes. They are absent for addiction of drugs, alcoholism, and diseases. They have better health, longer life span, and was built with a “better” body. Genetically engineered people also have a higher IQ and other intelligence factors that are included. Having a society like this will result in your family/child receiving a better life, and a better chance of having a successful life in the future. Parents would not have to worry about any sudden deaths or diseases affecting their child because everything in their life was predicted when they were going through the preimplantation genetic diagnosis process. Since their genes was manipulated, they are being born with “good genes” therefore as mentioned above, they have a higher chance of having a triumphant job and leading a successful life.

Genetic Modification is often perceived as the answer to humanity’s faults because it will enhance human abilities, prevent the survival of incapacitating disabilities, and guide the innovation of the future. Sounds pretty good, right? That is not the reality. Genetic modification is not the solution to the ubiquitous problems of the human race, but rather infringes on individual rights, decreases diversity, permits too much power to the human race, and contributes to overpopulation.

You are probably familiar with GMO’s (genetically modified organism) and scientifically modified food that has had its DNA changes. There has been debate on GMO’s has been going on for a few decades, whether GMO are safe and even ethical. However, there is another debate that far surpasses GMOs and has a potential to radically shake society: the issue of genetically modifying humans. Changing our DNA could limit health issue or create a new Frankenstein’s monster among humans. Frankenstein had the wrong intent when he set out to create his monster. He only cared about himself and advancing his future. If Genetic engineering is sought after to just create something new there will be another monster. However, genetic can be safe and ethical if its intent and use is for medical purposes. We need to help the sick in society and one way to do that is with genetic engineering. With this purpose genetic engineering is not overstepping our authority like Frankenstein did.

Genetic engineering is a very controversial topic. People either agree with genetic modification, or they don’t. According to dictionary.com, genetic engineering is the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population. While researching this topic, I learned many interesting facts. I found out that genetic engineering first started in 1973, I did not know it had been around for so long. I learned that two men, Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen, were the first people to genetically modify an organism, which was bacteria. Yourgenome.org states that, “Genetic engineering can be applied to

Genetic engineering can be a good thing and a bad thing. In the movie "Gattaca", Vincent, average person, was naturally conceived. This was in a time were babies were genetically modified. Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of organisms using a type of science called Biotechnology. He wasn't considered healthy because he wasn't genetically engineered.

1. The significance of the title Gattaca is that it is a DNA sequence. The genetic code is written using G, A, T, and C and it represents a nucleotide. G, A, T, and C stand for four nucleic acids: guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine.

It is incredible to see how far genetic engineering has come. Humans, plants, and any living organism can now be manipulated. Scientists have found ways to change humans before they are even born. They can remove, add, or alter genes in the human genome. Making things possible that humans (even thirty years ago) would have never imagined. Richard Hayes claims in SuperSize Your Child? that genetic engineering needs to have limitations. That genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes, but not for “genetic modification that could open the door to high-tech eugenic engineering” (188). There is no doubt that genetic engineering can amount to great things, but without limits it could lead the human race into a future that no one

The impact of human genetic engineering on the workplace is negative. With genetic engineering, humans have the ability to give their children the best traits. They can create children who have the traits to be able at any job they want. However, for the children who were born naturally and were not genetically engineered, they can face discrimination for their genes because they supposedly are not good enough for the job. In the movie Gattaca, the invalids, people who are not genetically engineered, are shown to have jobs that the valids, people who are genetically engineered, do not want. The main character Vincent, an invalid, was only able to obtain a job as a janitor even though he could succeed in other jobs higher up on the hierarchy.

Every living thing has genes. Genes are a set of instructions for an organism that determine what characteristics that organism will have. The genes for an organism lie in strands of DNA called chromosomes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in their body (Medical News Today/OI). Recently, scientists have found a way to modify these genes for certain reasons. These modifications are called genetic engineering. Forty percent of these modifications tend to fall in the category of cosmetic enhancements (OI). Meanwhile, other modifications are used to help a human’s experience of chronic diseases and pain. If genetic engineering is used to reduce specific, serious diseases, then I am in favor of it; however, if it is used for cosmetic enhancements, I am against it.

Andrew Niccol’s, Gattaca, shines light on our possibly not so bright future. The film is based off genetic engineering and its effects on society. When a couple wants a child, they head to the clinic with their list of preferences. The fetus is then altered to meet these preferences. Society is now classified into groups: the “valids” and “invalids” – basically a caste system. The movie focuses in on an “invalid” named Vincent Freeman, and how his genetics hold him back from achieving his dreams. Vincent dreams of space travel, something someone of his caste would normally never experience. Although with perseverance and the help of loyal friends Vincent is able to fight for a chance of reaching his dreams.

The movie GATTACA is about a person who wants to go to space, but cannot because of society’s hierarchy based on the genetic makeup of a person. In this hierarchy people are born with modified genes, which are chosen by the parents. This leads to a few different advantages and disadvantages in the society portrayed in GATTACA. These advantages and disadvantages will create different outcomes and scenarios-- or will it? One highly important disadvantage in GATTACA is that people have weeded out differences in people, and eventually made them so alike that no one had the creativity that led to the genetic manipulation discovery in the first place. The lack of this aspect will impede cultural diversity and diminish further scientific discoveries thanks to the lack of variation in people of this alternative world.

Should genetic engineering in humans be considered in society? Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. There are many pros and cons on this highly controversial issue in our society. Those in favor for genetic engineering in humans state that it’s highly beneficial to society. One of these benefits is that genetic engineering can prevent many hereditary diseases found in humans. Some of these hereditary diseases or traits such as Down syndrome, autism, and Alzheimer’s can be completely eradicated from the human genome. Another benefit of genetic engineering is that allows society to have a higher quality of life. Genetic engineering gives humans a chance

One of the biggest pictures that are against genetic engineering is that humans are not supposed to play the role of God. DNA is a unique thing to every person. Bioengineering itself involves the very technical aspects of modification, and the enhancement of stem cells or DNA and this process can change the human structure. “The progress of civilization has been having been largely dependent upon the out ‘interference with nature’.”(Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences).

     There isn’t any background information of human genetic engineering because it is perceived as unmoral, but there are many comparable instances of altering genes. Genetic engineering is the largest food experiment in the history of the world. “More than 100 million acres of the world's most fertile farmland were planted with genetically modified crops last year, about 25 times as much as just four years earlier”(King,1999). There is a series on genetic engineering of food crops, genetic engineers are now moving genes around among plants and animals. The attempt to improve the human race genetically relates to someone creating a specialized breed of horses or dogs. “In the early decades of the 20th century, eugenics projects in the U.S. led to forced sterilization of some people who were considered to have undesirable