How Ethical Should We Use Transgenic Animals?

In the technology of genetic engineering of animals the first essential step is to ensure that the

This leads them to believe that errors in the human gene pool could be introduced, and that new diseases could be created. This is a valid concern because if the whole point of this is to prevent diseases, then adding new one's would deem it pointless.

Rationale/Ethics: V​ibrio natriegens is the world’s fastest growing bacteria, doubling every 10 minutes. This trait makes it optimal for the mass-production of the gene that codes for the pALT(INK4a/b) protein, which could be used for cancer treatments. It is inexpensive and creates a lot of the necessary protein. The pALT(INK4a/b) protein found in naked mole rats that would be inserted into this bacteria is able to prevent tumors from developing. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US and is responsible for 1 of every 4 deaths. If a lot of this gene (and consequently the protein) is created by these transgenic bacteria, researchers could find new ways to incorporate this protein into cancer treatments. It is ethical as

People need to realize that the world is actually doing this for the better. Imagine being able to prevent disease in humans and all other organisms with the help of producing medicine with animals. “I don’t think anybody in the world will turn down a drug from a transgenic animal if they need it… Or a transplant.” (Anthes, 54) A transplant!? Oh yeah, this science is advancing so much that they are developing ideas that intend to allow humans to safely and effectively use similar organs found in animals such as pigs to be used for transplants such as livers! Now it’s starting to make sense why scientists are doing what they are. They are not trying to harm anyone, and so far they are doing a pretty good job. Society seems to believe that this developing science is harmful to the world, and is unfair to animals. That should not be societies outlook; in fact it should be quite the opposite. 97-99% of people at least occasionally eat meat, that being said it seems most people truly don’t have a problem with how animals are treated on farms just to be made into food, so biotechnology should not be accused for mistreating animals and their conditions. Biotechnology is not doing anything worse than we already are; as a matter of fact it’s helping the world most likely once its influence

Humans have been able to use the principles of DNA replication, gene transfer and gene expression (as observed in nature) as tools to manipulate specific genes towards preferred outcomes. An advantage of being able to manipulate genetic therapy is the ability to eliminate/cure genetic disease/disorders with otherwise no other cure. Humans are able to remove the genes causing the genetic disorder from the gene pool of populations, allowing organisms to live longer and healthier lives. Two ways of manipulating genetic transfer which will be explored further in this report are selective breeding and gene therapy.

Biotechnology is the application of scientific techniques and exploitation of biological processes used to improve and modify animals, plants and microorganisms to enhance their value through genetic manipulation. Over time, advances in the field of molecular biology has allowed scientists to take a particular gene from any organism, including, bacteria, viruses, plants or animals, and introduce those genes into another organism. An organism transformed using genetic engineering techniques is known as transgenic organism (Independent learning center, 2012). This paper discusses the positive and negative effects of genetically engineered organisms in agricultural applications and the Canadian regulation or legislation that relates to this issue.

Social: There should be some sort of legal control/law that need to be placed on the company/group of scientists, so that in the event of an unforeseen consequence during the gene manipulation process such as mutations/diseases which is uncontrollable, they may be held liable. This would ensure society that they are trying to do the process properly and not follow any shortcuts. Furthermore, a review of the genetically modified product should be in place before it can be handled or distributed anywhere outside of the laboratory, again ensuring society that the transgenic mammals will do no harm.

Scientists can use viruses for delivering genes into your body. They disable the part of the virus that makes you sick and replace it with the healthy gene which then gets delivered to where it needs to go. (Ron Fridell, 12/1/09, p.30) Scientists have genetically modified animals as well in many ways which help produce a lot more food. Catfish have been modified so they grow all year round instead of just in the summer. By this happening farmers can breed and sell more catfish in a shorter amount of time. (Ron Fridell, 12/1/09, p.21). Also salmon have been engineered so they grow a lot larger than normal to provide more meat. These transgenic salmon create a lot more meat in the time normal salmon create less meat. Also there are cows that have been engineered so that they make several different kinds of milk. They can produce milk that is more easily digested by people who are lactose intolerant and milk with a longer shelf life. Also scientists can engineer cows that produce milk with a lower amount of fat so that it makes better cheese. This helps provide more food because people who where not previously able to drink milk now can and it also lasts longer as it will not spoil as quickly as normal milk. (http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article. php?id=386, 12/1/09). Scientists have also found a way to save money and protect crops at the same time. Because pesticides cost a lot to buy and it takes time to spray the

Genetic engineering techniques have been applied to various industries, with some success. Medicines such as insulin and human growth hormone are now produced in bacteria, experimental mice such as the oncomouse and the knockout mouse are being used for research purposes and insect resistant and/or herbicide tolerant crops have been commercialized. Plants that contain drugs and vaccines, animals with beneficial proteins in their milk and stress tolerant crops are currently being developed

In recent decades, there have been many advances in technology, specifically in the field of genetic engineering, that allows precise control over changing the genes in an organism. Today, it is possible to incorporate new genes from one species into a completely unrelated species through genetic engineering. The

Bad traits. I think that it’s unsafe to do. I know in recent years, there have been multiple deaths due the mishaps in genetic engineering. The viral instruments that are used to have the DNA into the cell may cause some lethal immune responses or even tumors. While this argument may be valid today, it is probably a technical problem or a DNA issue that will eventually be circumvented. Another safety argument is that when transgenes are inserted into the genome, they may disrupt functional genes and cause mutations. Now we do not know yet what such genetic technology will be used for. It could be curing lethal diseases; which is a good idea, and most certainly there are very few people who would be against curing lethal genetic diseases. Genetic engineering assumes that scientists know which traits are good

But, is it ethical to create altered animals that may suffer? Ethical issues can arise at all stages in the life span and generations of transgenic cows. It is unethical to modify a cows genetic makeup for a specific purpose, without knowing in advance if there will be any side effects that will cause harm and suffering to the cow. Embryos that undergo the genetic procedures have only a small survival rate(between 1% and 30%). This means that large numbers of cows are produced to obtain the transgenic cows which are of scientific value. An example of this is the genetically modified cows showing increased Tuberculosis resistance. Bovine Tuberculosis(TB) is a infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium bovis. A mouse gene was inserted into the DNA of a cow and 23 transgenic calves were produced. Once the offspring reached adulthood, they showed resistance to TB which shows the benefits of transgenesis. But, of the 23 calves produced, only 13 survived to adulthood. This shows the unethical side of transgenesis and raises the question of whether the sacrifice of some cows makes up for the succession of an experiment, even though we run the huge risks of experiments being

Biotechnology interventions are used to advance human brains and our future to the extreme. The process of genetic engineering is very unpredictable and dramatic that it will have a major effect on its environment. Human genetic manipulation is considered unethical and dangerous for the most part. Human genetic alteration is illegal in many countries, but it is used in some places to cure gene diseases. The process of changing the genetic DNA of when a baby is born can be passed down the line of the persons. Swapping bad and unwanted genes for a better one is part of the process. There are many potential advantages gained from this operation as well as some dangers. Considering the ethical implications of the gene enhancement the result might cause a gene problem. The advanced technology application can make a huge different especially improving the quality of a human being by fixing an unwanted and inheritable gene defects. Many people are affected

The parade of genetically engineered marvels, during the past recent years, has been shocking: “Flavr-Savr” tomatoes that stay fresher longer; “giant salmon” that grow 37 times faster than the normal fish; “transgenic” pigs that are injected with human genes which causes them to produce milk with human protein that prevents blood clotting; and “supermice” injected with rat growth genes which makes them grow twice their normal size, are just a few.

could include replacing mutated genes with healthy genes or even introducing new genes into the