The Affects of the Human Genome Project on Society Essay

DNA are like legos, they work together to build the traits of living things. They are the building blocks of the body. Many scientists today have been figuring out different ways to manipulate, change, add, and subtract genes from the DNA in living things; this is process is called genetic engineering. Some of the living things being experimented on are live people, plants, and animals. Today scientists are debating on the morals of genetic engineering due to what the community thinks of it, because of the christian 's viewpoint of genetic engineering. To some christians it may pose a threat to their, but to others it may be a blessing or a gift. Genetic Engineering is a growing breakthrough in the science community. “Over the last 30 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly due to the greater understanding of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the chemical double helix code from which genes are made. The term genetic engineering is used to describe the process by which the genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using “recombinant DNA technology.” This involves the use of laboratory tools to insert, alter, or cut out pieces of DNA that contain one or more genes of interest.”(Pocket K No. 17) Scientist have yet to unlock the full potential of genetic engineering, but the information and the use they have found for it today has reached farther than anyone 's expectations.

The acceptability of a certain form of technology can either be based on whether or not it improves the lives of humans and whether or not it is considered part of the social norm. It stands to reason that Genetic engineering can be accepted and subsequently refined to evolve the human race, as shown with its ability to improve quality of life through advancements in agriculture and medicine. Genetic engineering is the manual modification of an organism’s genetic composition by artificial means in order to transfer the specific traits, genes from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species; in order to add a trait that would not normally be found within the species of the specific organism. According to Dr. Ron Epstein, professor of family medicine, psychiatry and oncology, Genetic engineering is a completely new kind of science that concerns itself with changing nature itself on the most fundamental level whereas previous science aimed to understand how nature works. As a result, there is a lot of controversy and worry stemming from the potential risk of bringing chaos and destruction to society that comes from the implementation of Genetic Engineering. Therefore, in order to come to an agreement on whether or not the benefits of Genetic Engineering are greater than the risks both sides of the argument must be weighed equally.

Technology can be amazing if used in the right way and not used to harm people. The genome project leaves endless results of what is achievable through technology. Could someday, someone build an entire human from xenotransplantation. Could someday, there be a drug where you will never die anymore. The life expectancy from the last one hundred has already risen fifty percent to seventy-five years due to medicine. Who says this can’t keep growing now that it’s almost possible to have a xenotransplantation where you could get a “brand new heart or lungs that were grown in a pig.” Also, the fact that we can now predict what disease a baby is going to or can have by ten weeks after they are conceived, makes me wonder are we ever going to have worry about getting a surprise new health condition in our life.

Humans desire perfection in everything, even if that means crossing the boundaries of natural life. A new looming untested technology, human genetic modification, raises questions as to whether it will advance human society or cause inconsistencies in the human genome. Essentially, this controversy will effect everyone since it is still early but it is an upcoming topic. Genetic engineering specifically effecting the next generations. Commentators on this debate argue that it will promote the positives of scientific advancements, but others dispute that this raises strong ethical concerns. Genetic engineering has the possibility to cure diseases while furthering modern medicine, but humans would abuse the process by creating a competitive

The Genome project is very significant because it is trying to cure illness and diseases. This project was first started in 1990 and it lasted till 2003 and it took thirteen years to complete the genetic sequencing. The discoveries that were made during this project are now being tested and studied to become more accurate. Furthermore, The genome project is trying to accurately sequence all the genes, cure and prevent different illnesses that affect people all around the world. Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein can apply to the Genome project because of the importance of both projects.

The Human Genome Project has aimed to provide us with detailed information about the Human Genome. This will be extremely effective towards studying people with specific diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and cystic fibrosis. The DNA sequences of any two people are actually very alike. The little difference is those that cause a high risk of an individual developing a certain disease. During the course of

was found to be packed into chromosomes, of which 23 pairs existed in each cell

Imagine a world where most diseases and cancers have either been cured or have treatments to help people with them. Where there is no longer a regular doctors check up and now they would now take a look at what’s inside you. Where doctors will now look at the genes in your genome and find the problem in there. After they find the spot where there is something wrong, they would easily know what it is and give you a diagnosis and a treatment. Due to the Human Genome Project, dreams like these can actually become reality. It can help scientists or anyone get to know how the human body works and how humans have evolved throughout time. Even scientists just wanting to know more about the world of genes by what they are and what they do. Through this new technological project things like diseases and cancers wouldn’t be a problem and people can focus on more scientific projects that can benefit the world. Through this one project many other projects have benefitted and many have been created. Even though many people may not know about the Human Genome Project, it could be one of the best technological project advancement that has shook and impacted the scientific community greatly.

It was thirty-one years ago that researchers from around the world sat down to commence what would be the world’s largest collaborative biological project. The Human Genome Project holds many clues about diseases caused by genes and how scientists can translate this knowledge in the area of gene-therapy to treat and cure genetic disorders. The Human Genome Project, in my opinion, is one of the greatest achievements made by mankind and ever since its completion in 2003, I've always wanted to contribute to projects like these.

The successful mapping of the human genome is a huge step for science, but as every action has an equal and opposite reaction, every new scientific discovery brings with it equal amounts of benefit and detriment. With access to the human genome comes the ability to fight back against genes with life-altering capabilities. With this new power scientists have the ability to check the likelihood of someone to develop ailments such as cancer and heart disease. On the other hand, to be able to see these genes means to be able to distinguish desirable from undesirable, an action that can drastically affect the lives of others and maybe even the views of their societies.

Science has enabled humanity to thrive in a world where change is a prerequisite that must be achieved if an organism aspires to live. It allowed for the human race to bend and twist to accommodate to our needs. Death’s touch became a mere gesture we can avoid - most of the time. Although we stand at the forefront of human advancement, we are still held back. Genetic engineering, the direct modification of DNA, is the solution to the problems we continuously encounter today. Particularly, it would benefit areas such as food production, elimination of disease and disorders, and the fate of mankind itself.

There are many risks to new advancements in science and technology, but the biggest fears of the public often come from fear of change and not actual bad outcomes. The fabrication of DNA present in human chromosomes is a topic commonly tackled in science fiction, where the results are based on the supposed negatives of what is ultimately positive change and not on the actual risks. The easiest way to show that supposed fears are not real risks is to relate it to reality. Ultimately, it is my view that fabrication of human DNA has many potential benefits that outweigh the risks if they are dealt with appropriately.

Human curiosity is one of the most powerful engines that drive new knowledge, development, advancements and life improvements today. Some 100,000 or 200,000 years ago Homo sapiens emerged, and up to today humans are still searching for answers such as what we are and where we came from.

“Genetic engineering is, at best, a debatable branch of science. For some, it is the wave of the future: a method for perfecting the human genome, discarding flaws from infants before they are born and ensuring they live longer, healthier lives. For others, it is an abomination: a method of circumventing what nature gave you, and wholly unnatural. Which one is right?” (Bird). Naturally, genetics is the scientific study of inherited variations in the DNA strand. This topic sparked curiosity among numerous scientific individuals that they begun a research project on it titled the Human Genome Project. To illustrate, the Human Genome Project worked out the sequence of the three billion chemical ‘letters’ of the human genome, and it produced

When most people think of DNA, scientists, laboratories, and twisted ladders come to mind. In reality, DNA makes up genetic material, which makes up proteins that form much of the body and perform vital tasks. The study of DNA and genetic material is something more people should be aware of. As a society, knowing how powerful genetic research and technology are holds the possibility to help, or possibly hurt, people now and in the future.