As a species we’ve always looked for ways to be faster, stronger, smarter, and live longer. Many enhancements we take for granted today; blood transfusions, vaccinations, and birth control, seemed unnatural or immoral when first introduced. Yet over time we’ve become accustomed to these controls over our minds and bodies, and have used them to better ourselves and our world. Imagine a society without disease, cancers, or heredity disorders. Life span would increase and IQ raised. Mental illness eliminated. Alzheimer’s gone. Hereditary problems, like baldness eradicated. Technology exists to diagnose flawed DNA in pre-implantation embryos, empowering humans to create a stronger, healthier child. Scientists place a new/modified gene into a …show more content…
By inserting desired genes into bacterial plasmids and allowing plant cells to take up the foreign DNA, numerous plant species now have the ability to survive harsh conditions such as heat and cold, resist pesticides more effectively, yield more plentiful amounts of edible foods, and pass on their desirable genes to viable offspring. Rice, corn, and tomatoes are good examples of plants that have been modified in this way (Byrne). In fact, the U.S. and Canada are the leading producers of these genetically modified foods (see chart below). Now, the question remains if it is ethically and socially acceptable to implement a similar kind of practice to modify human beings so that they will, in turn, possess the most desired traits and be able to pass them on from generation to generation.
You do not have to stop there. Advanced reproductive procedures unite the sperm and egg in a laboratory, in-vitro fertilization. Advanced reproductive techniques involve using InVitro Fertilisation or IVF to fertilise eggs with sperm in 'test-tubes' outside the mother's body in a laboratory. These techniques allow doctors and parents to reduce the chance that a child will be born with a genetic disorder. At the moment it is only legally possible to carry out two types of advanced reproductive technologies on humans. The first involves choosing the type of sperm that will fertilise
Scientist have developed medicine that takes away pain, strengthens the body, and reduces future health problems. There is also treatment to prolong someones life span. This is an exprodanary advancement from our modern medicine. I myself am not one who can criticize modern medicine. for years it kept my younger brother alive. My desire like many is to have a long and healthy life for ourselves and our loved ones. Unfortunately, our modern medicine has its disadvantages. As i mentioned previously the development of transplants and modern medicine helped me brother for a few years but it also slowly killed him. Disease has killed many people as a result, there is now embryo gene modification. Embryo gene modification is used to eliminate terrible genetic deceases passed on through genes. This gene editing will cure the embryo from any disease, therefore, the child will potentially live a longer life. It will pass its modified genes to its offspring and create a stronger generation. The future may consist of healthier humans with long life
Next, the authors write about how food has been modified throughout the years. They use the example of “cultivated rice, wheat, corn, soy, potatoes, and tomatoes have very little in common with their ancestors.” They use this example to go on to reveal that genetically modifying foods is nothing more than hybridization, or the mating of different plants of the same species to integrate the desired traits from several different varieties into a leading variety. The authors use the example of the tomato and how it is commonly bred with wild tomatoes to make the plant more resistant to pathogens, nematodes, and fungi while eradicating any unwanted traits from the wild plant such as toxins. This example, as a whole is a brilliant use of ethos. It displays that genetically modified foods are healthy and safe because it compares this new technology to a technique that has been done for thousands of years that has never been thought of as dangerous. More importantly, this comparison shows that the authors are credible and that they use their evidence wisely and correctly.
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.
Technology is developing every day. The automobile was revolutionary, and then they introduced the plane. Cell phones can connect us with people around the world. Self-driving cars are in development today! Revolutionary inventions are the expectation nowadays, but a new discovery is sparking controversial questions in the science world. Is it acceptable to alter a baby’s genes to make it a better human? Genes are the instruction book of the body, and they determine everyone’s attributes and how people act in their environment (Medical News Today). Some people say that everyone is different for a reason, and others think customizing the genes of children was meant to happen. Altering an infant’s genes is acceptable to prevent hereditary diseases, but the line should be drawn at making an artificially smarter, stronger, or prettier human.
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.
Scientists continue to find new ways to insert genes for specific traits into plant and animal DNA. A field of promise—and a subject of debate—genetic engineering is changing the food we eat and the world we live in.
Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing a seedless watermelon, but it is not the typical oval, it is square. Down the produce aisle, there are sweet, juicy strawberries; however, there is a warning label that says, “Do not consume if you have a nut allergy.” The world today is moving forward in the way that society produces our wholefoods. Genetic engineering, bioengineering, or biotechnology is the process of inserting the genetics of different plants and organisms into other plants or organisms to create new, more efficient DNA. However, is it truly beneficial to modify the world’s natural foods? The use of genetic engineering can disrupt the ecosystems that have taken billions of years to develop. Many years of research and work have gone into the subject of genetically modified foods; however, this new food trend could create or enhance food related illnesses and health problems, interfere with nature’s environs, and could even cause specific ethical problems for individuals that practice different faith. People should be aware of genetic engineering, how it works, and how it affects their lives.
The world we live in is advancing more and more every day. We are beginning to exceed boundaries and reach new limits. Science and Technology has come a long way since Copernicus said that the sun was the center of the universe. Science fiction is slowly coming to life. We are building robots that are extremely similar to humans, modifying genes, and creating clones. Authors wrote about these abstract ideas not too long ago, but at the time they seemed far-fetched. Scientific and technological advancement may be for good or for evil. The good side is the advancements in medicine that could limit the risk of a particular disease or even cure one. The potentially bad side is the steps we may take to get there without knowing the long-term effect. In Michael Bess’s article “Blurring the Boundary Between Person and Product,” he discusses the advancement of genetic
Within the last 100 years or so scientists have many valuable discoveries that have benefited mankind. These discoveries include the discovery of genes. Scientists have discovered what makes humans so unique from one another. However, with this newly gained knowledge of the function of genes comes the ability to alter or change them. Just imagine in the not so near future, you and your partner want to start a family together. You travel to your local gene councillor to pick the physical and characteristic traits of your child. That’s right. With the knowledge that has been gained about genes, scientists can “create” the perfect child genetically. The thought is scary. Nature has always taken us down the right path but are we really ready
Terrance O’Connor reports on the social and psychological effects that Genetically Modified Organisms have on societies. Lastly, the ethical and moral implications that this technology has is reported by Michele Jacobs.
People have even been able to alter the human and other organisms’ genetic orientation. Genetically modified crops are common in the U.S. market today. It is a society characterized by biotechnology in order to improve
However, researchers generally agree that germ-line engineering will be possible within the next twenty years (Rabino 153). When the technology does develop, the procedure for germ-line engineering will be similar to that of in vitro fertilization. For example, a couple wishes to have a child, but they have reservations about naturally conceiving because both of their families have a history of cystic fibrosis. They decide that the use of germ-line engineering would be the best way for them to ensure they produce a healthy child. First, the couple will go to a clinic and some of the man’s sperm and some of the woman’s eggs will be harvested. These sex cells will then be taken to a laboratory and in a Petri dish the man’s sperm will be induced to fertilize the woman’s eggs. These fertilized eggs will then be allowed to develop up to the eight-cell embryonic stage. At this point one cell from each eight-cell embryo will be removed for genetic testing (this does not cause significant harm to the embryo’s development because the cells are not yet differentiated into the different types of tissue). If the genetic tests come out positive for the defective gene that causes cystic fibrosis, the diseased embryos will undergo genetic surgery. In genetic surgery, through various intricate methods, the defective gene is basically spliced out of the
Genetic engineering threatens a decrease in our appreciation of life as gift, creating a sense of obligation
Every 3.6 seconds, a child around the world dies from starvation (UNICEF 2014). If there was a way to save the lives of nearly 1,000 children a day, would you use it? Genetically Engineered foods can be genetically enhanced so they have more nutritional benefit than they normally would. For example, rice has been modified so that the levels of an antioxidant compound, beta-carotene, was increased.(Harvard School of Public Health, 2012). Furthermore, these foods could have a better tasting and a better texture(UC Santa Cruz, 2005). Nevertheless, none of this would matter if genetically engineering plants wasn’t cost effective. However, genetically engineering plants costs just as much as organic plants do in the long run.
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