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Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering

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Since the dawn of time, humans have pondered the very roots of their existence. Through religion, many filled the void of their origin with a creation story, but with relatively recent discoveries, the origin of humans has been revealed. Charles Darwin’s ideas on natural selection and evolution led the way for this new facet of thought. His findings were widely rejected at first but paved the way for more progress. Shortly after, Gregor Mendel was able to prove inheritance with pea plants. A plethora of other discoveries throughout the twentieth century allowed for a process called genetic engineering. But, what is genetic engineering? By manipulating the recombination of DNA, scientists are able to change an organism. They have found that they can use viruses to “inject” therapeutic genes into humans. Through this process, people are now able to control specific genes in an organism for more desirable traits. This has been used in the industry of food, medicine, and in various other sciences. (Britannica, “Genetic Engineering”)
In the farming and food industries, the utilization of genetic engineering is very common. It began in the 1990s with cotton plants. Scientists discovered that its DNA could be manipulated to create beneficial changes. These changes included resistance to antibiotics, resistance to herbicide and introduction of more nutrients and vitamins (“History of Genetically Modified Foods,” 2004). Also, scientists are able to use genetic

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