Genetic Engineering In Margaret Atwood's Oryx And Crake

Genetic modified organisms, or GMOs, are living organisms that, through the genetic engineering process, have been altered to withstand certain chemicals and increase the nutritional value of the product. In fact, the majority of the foods found at the grocery store are genetically altered. Genetic modification is becoming increasingly popular on farms throughout the United States and moving into other parts of the world due to their increasing yield capabilities and pest and weed control. However, this has been, and continues to be, an extremely controversial topic of discussion in the world of agriculture and biotechnology, as well as health food critics, because of potential environmental and health risks.

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, otherwise known as DNA. Since biochemists Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer pioneered genetic engineering in 1973, the process has grown to have numerous applications such as medicine production, for example insulin (Mckinley). However, a main topic of concern is the application of genetic engineering on foods that we eat everyday. By modifying the genetic "blueprint" of crops, it is possible to improve many aspects of agriculture. But with any sort of scientific discovery that allows humans to act as Mother Nature, genetically modifying organisms has been a very controversial topic. Yet our society continues to grow, and the need for the benefits of genetically modified foods continues to grow. Genetically modifying foods should be permitted in our society because it allows larger yields of crops to be produced, produces foods with higher nutritional values, and reduces our global ecological footprint.

Genetically transferring genes from one organism to another may sound like something in a sci-fi movie, but now it is happening more than ever. Snipping desired traits from various

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

Childhood is a reoccurring theme in Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake. Children often grow up and become unique individuals based upon their own morals and values, however their later lives are largely influenced by their childhood experiences and those who played significant roles in their lives. Atwood describes the childhood of two characters. One being Jimmy, who is also known as Snowman and another being a girl by the name of Oryx. The novel follows these characters back and forth between their childhood and adulthood and Atwood makes it clear what has influenced these characters in their past to shape them into who they have become later in their lives. This is made evident in their behaviour and also in their ability to possess and maintain mature relationships.

In Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, she describes a frightening dystopian futuristic society that consists of the compounds and the pleeblands. The compounds are home to “wealthier” class, that work in industrial plants during the day and enjoy the shopping malls and fancy dining at night. The pleeblands are nearly the exact opposite. Snowman, the main character of the novel and former inhabitant of the compounds, describes them as disease infested, drug ridden ghettos. These two communities could not be further separated. Unfortunately, it appears as if Margaret Atwood’s dystopia is upon us. In Slavoj Zizek’s Violence, we are reminded of the time period just several years ago right after Hurricane Katrina, when the city of New Orleans

Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake characterizes the world after an uncontrolled experiment causing near total destruction of all human-kind. In the eyes of Snowman, also known as Jimmy, we witness his journeys back and forth between the reminiscences of the past and the present. The major calamities slowly make its transition as it all began in the hands of man who believed in the works of biotechnology, as a ground-breaking vitality to humanity, only to be destroyed by their own creations and conceptions. Similar to reality, biotechnology took off as it began cross-breeding and modifying produce the creators’ desired genetically-modified organisms, also known as GMOs. As how Atwood’s views the world pessimistically through the trials of error from genetic engineering, she warns us and abstracts the reasons that the pervasive usage of the sciences and technology to be a source to the downfall of humanity.

It’s been seen in movies like Gattaca, and now reality is catching up to fictional genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is defined as the deliberate modification of an organism’s characteristics by manipulating genetic material. Rapid progression in this field has already taken place; today, over 40% of the world’s food is genetically modified and this science has begun to allow parents to select the traits they want in their children. As of right now, genetic engineering is a fresh concept not completely accepted or understood, but by 2041, it will as common practice as smartphones are commonplace because of its contribution to the quality of life.

According to Yang and Chen (2015), humans have been modifying the genomes of plants and animals for thousands of years using traditional breeding techniques. This involves selecting plants or animals with desirable traits and breeding them in hopes of acquiring certain characteristics, which become more pronounced with each generation. After thousands of years, almost every single plant and animal around the world is vastly different from its pre-domesticated state. Hence, if humans have been manipulating genes since history, then what makes a so-called “genetically modified organism (GMO)” different?

Genetic engineering is a subject unfamiliar to the general public because not only has it not had much exposure to people outside of the scientific world, but it is also extremely complex and still has several applications yet to be found. “Recombinant DNA results when scientists combine nucleotide sequences (pieces of DNA) from two different sources-often from different species-to form a single DNA molecule” (Campbell 220). Recombinant DNA is the most widely used in genetic engineering and is what replaces unwanted genes.

According to “Are biotechnology…,” the science of genetic engineering can be defined as “the process of introducing, eliminating, or changing an organism’s genetic material.” But as this article also states, this idea of editing an organism’s characteristics is nothing new. Selective breeding, for example, has been common in society for a long time. Hitchings mentions the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system which is just one example of many different systems available. As this science has gained popularity, ethical concerns have been brought up, along with a debate on if these concerns prove it to be unethical. Although some scientists claim that the medical and economic benefits outweigh the many risks, genetic engineering is not ethical because

When speaking about genetically modified or genetically engineered organisms, an important distinction must be made. This new breed of technology does not use traditional means of gene

Genetic Engineering is defined as a direct manipulation of genetic code inside of a living organism. By the early 70s, scientist were able to directly modify and recombine DNA from a monkey virus named SV40 and parts of a lambda virus. Later in the following years more advancement followed increase the number of scientist and achievement in the field in of Genetic Engineering. One of the ever occurring arguments that has plagued the community for as long as the first GMO was used in the environment has been is it right to manipulate life. The questions today is that of much debate still. One of the biggest weapons used against this has GMOs can lead to mutations and unknown side effect if eaten, however studies done have shown that there is no effect whatsoever when eaten.

      In the past three decades, scientists have learned how to mix and match characteristics among unrelated creatures by moving genes from one creature to another. This is called “genetic engineering.” Genetic Engineering is prematurely applied to food production. There are estimates that food output must increase by 60 percent over the next 25 years to keep up with demand. Thus, the result of scientist genetically altering plants for more consumption. The two most common methods for gene transfer are biological and electromechanical. “Early experiments all involved changing DNA using bacterial vectors”(Randerson, 2001). Through other advances scientists proclaim how they can improve the human gene pool. All humans have

Direct manipulation of DNA focuses on selective breeding, altering organisms to achieve higher quality products and more of them. These improved