...Genetic Engineering: Designer Babies What if the world were free of genetic diseases, or if it was a place where parents could control their offspring’s height, hair color and intelligence? The science may be closer to being available then some people think. Genes sometimes interact in ways that human may never completely understand, so we never know what might happen. Society could become a place with designer babies, unforeseen genetic problems and a genetically enhanced society where only the rich benefit. So even though human genetic engineering has potential benefits the interference in a person’s genetic makeup is too risky, moral debates arise, and it could throw off the sociological balance of our world. The world’s first designer baby was born in 2000, a test tube baby named Adam Nash. He was altered by the use of a technique called the Pre-Implantation Process. He was born to save his older sister’s life, because she suffered from a low blood count disorder and was in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. The Nash family sparked the ethical debate over the alteration and the use of a baby’s genes, a debate that has since grown in argumentative evidence for and against the development of a possible worldwide lawful altering of baby’s genes. Consequently, there are many issues with the ideas put forth. The eradication of genetic diseases is a very exciting; it poses a great socioeconomic balance of out world. For example, for the disabled who have been the way they...
Words: 1406 - Pages: 6
...Andy Guertin 1/22/2013 Environmental Issues EG481 Week 6 Assignment Biotechnology Genetic Modification (GM) is to introduce desirable traits in an organism. Genetic modification of food has been practiced for centuries through conventional selective cross breeding. With great advancements in technology, genetic engineering is now used to improve food quality. Genetic engineering has everything to do with the transfer and disposal of genetic material and enabling specific genes to be transferred between related and non-related organisms or the transfer of genes between non-related species is only possible with genetic engineering. Using old conventional methods of genetic modification, the desired traits are molded from natural occurring variations in genetic composition of organisms, where genetic engineering makes it possible to alter genetic material in ways that would not occur naturally. In other words, the advantages of genetic engineering include a greater scope for the development and improvement of food products. Therefore, the alteration of genetic material in anyway not found in nature has ignited public debate over the health and environmental issues of GM foods. “Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides...
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...years ago, this was not possible. Now we are able to decide the sex of our children, and get rid of many genetic conditions or chromosomal disorders. Also, with upcoming technology, we could even choose the physical features and cognitive strengths of our children. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) or embryo screening is the technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy. When one or more parents are known to have a genetic disorder, this screening is performed on the embryo to determine if the child will also have the same genetic disorder (Medscape). In the lab fertilization occurs among the egg and the sperm, and then on day three, a cell is removed and is tested for any genetic disorders. If the cells are detected for a genetic disorder, those genes are removed and only the non-effected genes are placed back into the embryo and placed into the mother by IVF. Besides testing for genetic disorders, when taking out the cell, geneticists, can also detect the sex of the child and change it depending on what the parents want (Medscape). PGD has started a big debate on where to draw the line. With technology advancements, PGD will soon be able to detect what genes depict hair and eye color, cognitive and physical functions, and everything else that makes up a human. Like being able to get rid of genetic disorders, creating the perfect person will not be that hard. Most people would want to create the ultimate...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...Genetic Enhancement on the Human Genome The debate on whether human genetic engineering should be researched and used as the main alternative solution to disease have been going on since the creation of the "human genetic engineering" phenomenon. The ethical question is clear: should money be invested in human genetic engineering and should we research it at all, even if it is formally criticized by all monotheistic religions? The ethical principles in conflict are beneficence (people with fatal diseases could be cured) and non-maleficence (undermines the will of God, according to religious groups and in addition, there is no guarantee of successful results). My stance on this debated topic is that human genetic engineering should not be funded or researched, as there is no 100% guarantee that it will be successful, and in addition, I am a very religious person, and in my opinion, the body that a person has is a gift of God, and it should not be changed in any ways. However, there are still thousands of people with fatal diseases who have no hope for surviving, and human genetic engineering could serve as the only hope for them. There are many sides that can be affected either positively or negatively if human genetic engineering is funded and researched, however, the major stakeholders are primarily the government of US and private companies who fund all the experiments, people with fatal diseases who hope for any type of cure., and the science in general, because if human genetic...
Words: 2205 - Pages: 9
...Peter Rasla ENG 102 Michele Mohr April 17, 2012 Genetically Modified Food The field of biotechnology and genetic engineering has been gradually improved, and the bioengineer could make a huge difference in our life by modifying the crops that we need. Genetically modified food could solve many problems to humans such as, cultivating new crops with new characteristics that could help humans. Also genetic engineering could help some countries to cultivate new crops they couldn’t cultivate it before for many reasons such as weather, soil type, and cultivating seasons. However, recently genetically modified food could make a big influence to human’s life, and it helped them to cultivate new crops, they wouldn’t be able to cultivate it without it. About 200 years ago Thomas Malthus predicted that according to that big increase in the humans’ population which is currently up to six billions, “the number of mouths that need to feed is increased. The numbers of cultivated crops is stable since Thomas Malthus has made his prediction; this has been the result of amazing technological advances in agricultural sciences with advent of biotechnology and genetic engineering, which have served to increase the average yield of various farm products’’ (Nayak et.al 112). Most of the countries started to cultivate genetically modified crops to feed their needs, and they could increase their crops number quickly...
Words: 1078 - Pages: 5
...the natural to the unnatural; advances in the field of genetic engineering have allowed researchers to have complete control over what genetic changes take place and what the final product will look like, taste like, feel like, etc. Philips indicates that with modern technology, “…we can incorporate new genes from one species into a completely unrelated species…optimizing agricultural performance or facilitating the production of valuable pharmaceutical substances.” While there are quite a few areas are subject to genetic engineering, the most common areas include: farm animals, bacteria, and crop plants such as corn, apples, soybeans, etc. Tyson reveals that GM ingredients, which take the form of modified enzymes, are found in many daily eating staples such as breads, cereals, vegetable oils, cheese, sodas, and beers (2001). The overwhelming presence of GMOs and GM ingredients have created quite a controversy in recent years. Essentially, the use of GM ingredients and GMOs have produced an argument which questions the morality and effects of such processes and products. While stances on the issue vary, the purpose of this paper will be to discuss the harmful nature of GMOs and the negative consequences associated with them by discussing the negative effects of GMOs on health, the environmental, and farming. Definition and History of Debate regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) According to Premanandh, “Genetic modification refers to any...
Words: 2533 - Pages: 11
...biotechnology would never be successful. The bigger pharmaceutical corporations did not capitalize in technology in the beginning. Together with scientists started the bulk of biotech corporations, and as a result, a lot of what was traditional in the pharmaceutical business has been transformed. This happens often when new people and new technology are brought about especially in today’s industry. In more advanced countries where genetically engineered disputes may arise, the developments have total protection through exclusive rights and other supervisory agencies. These issues arise from identification of the newfound bioengineered organisms, and this approach allows the engineering and entrepreneurs to recuperate from the immense costs involved in the research and development of genetic engineering. It endorses the development of products to profit society, and it permits access for a greater...
Words: 507 - Pages: 3
...Genetically-modification organisms (GMOs) or genetic modification of foods (GM foods) describes “crop plants produced for human or animal consumption using the most current molecular biology techniques” (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory by “adding, deleting, or changing segments of its DNA” (Withgott & Laposota, 2012, p. 149) to improve desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional matter. The enrichment of desired traits has traditionally been embarked on through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very precise, says Whitman (2000). In other words, the potential benefits of genetic engineering consists of a greater measure for the growth and perfection of “foodstuff” and so the adjustment of genetic material in any case not found in nature has fueled public debate surrounding the health and environmental issues of GM foods. A study stresses that, “pest resistance crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off or agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing genetic-modification of foods, such...
Words: 321 - Pages: 2
...Aspect of GMO by Chad Dookie Description of GMOs and the associated science Most of the populations that do shopping in the groceries to buy food for their family are not aware of the “naturalness” of the food. Groceries sell items such as; cotton seeds, rice, soy, sugar beets, yeast, cassava, papaya, bananas, food flavoring, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, oils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, peas, alfalfa, and honey. Notice that most of the items listed either came from a plant or an animal. Those are the top 20 grocery items that have been genetically modified. What are genetically modified organisms? A genetically modified organism is any living thing that has had their DNA tampered with. This can be mutating, removing, or adding genetic material into the organism. All of the items listed in paragraph one has had their DNA tampered with. Most times when people talk about genetically modified organisms, they mostly refer to plants that are genetically modified. You may be wondering how the animals listed are considered genetically modified. This is because scientists modify the plants that are being fed to the animals. This causes the DNA in the animals to also get tampered with. There are ways, for example, to feed chicken so that they are stronger and they get more meat in them. The way to do this is to modify the foods they eat and put something in the plant’s DNA to make these chickens stronger. Scientists can also directly modify the DNA of the animal also, instead of...
Words: 9591 - Pages: 39
...Our current food supply By February 20, 2011 A lot of the food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients and usually without our knowledge. The reason that this is done is that it ensures and sustains food security around the world as the population increases. The population now is at 6 billion people and is expected to double in the next 50 years. Genetic engineering is when a scientist manipulates a gene to create plants, animals, and microorganisms unnaturally. These items are created to withstand cold as unexpected frost can destroy many crops a year. Some reasons this is done is to achieve higher yield, improve the nutritional value and improve taste of food. Genetic engineering also called biotechnology will also improve shelf life to fruits and vegetables. I do not consider this to be as big of an issue as a lot of people are making it. Obviously there are reasons that the government does not have to tell us when we are eating genetically engineered food or not. It is because it is completely safe, and I believe that the people that are against it simply do not know enough about it. I will admit that when I first heard about “cloning food” I was a little disgusted as I also did not understand it at that time. There are some dangers that come with genetically engineered foods. Many of the opposed claim it causes nuclear pollution, global warming, and the toxic effects of pesticides and herbicides. Most of these crops developed are resistant...
Words: 482 - Pages: 2
...Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified foods are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. We have been “genetically modifying” foods for decades. They have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new crop traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods as breeding and mutation breeding. In 1994, genetically modified tomatoes hit the market in the US as the first commercially available genetically modified crop. To date, most genetic modification of foods have primarily focused on crops in high demand by farmers such as soybean, corn, canola, and cottonseed oil. These may have been engineered for faster growth or any other beneficial purpose for the farmers. Genetically modified food livestock have also been experimentally developed, but as of September 2013 none are currently on the market. We debate whether producing genetically modified foods have any harm toward the human body. But there is no scientific conclusion that genetically modified foods are harmful. Genetically modified foods pose no more harm toward our body than conventional foods. However, critics have objected to genetically modified foods on several grounds, including safety issues. The advantages of genetically modified foods are...
Words: 467 - Pages: 2
...A great deal of controversy has arisen over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Genetically Modified Food, especially surrounding the production, sale, and consumption of genetically modified foods. Many people are concerned that the consumption of GMO foods may pose serious health risks. The concern is centered around the notion that there could potentially be various different unforeseen consequences due to the consumption of GMO foods. Even though there is a large controversy over GMOs not many people know what and how dangerous GMO’s are. GMO’s are organisms produced from crops whose genetic makeup has been altered through a process called recombinant DNA, or gene splicing, to give the crop a desirable trait (Bren). Genetic engineering is also defined as the copying of a gene from one plant or animal and adding it to another plant or animal. Monsanto is one of the large producers of GMO seeds. Monsanto offers farmers a wide range of GMO corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, canola, sorghum and sugar cane seeds. Theses seeds have been genetically altered to produce a pesticide, yields more per seed, and withstand harsher weather conditions. Some of these plants are now, what is called, roundup ready (Monsanto). Roundup ready plants can be sprayed with roundup and not be effected by it. Due to the use of Roundup ready plants farmers are not having to be as careful when spraying these plants and more often then not they spray more roundup on them then needed. Roundup...
Words: 1284 - Pages: 6
...tradeoffs which have been expressed concerning biotechnology over the last decade. It will focus on a few major objects from different sectors that have raised the general attention. A large part of the public opinion agrees and is optimistic about the ability of biotechnology to help and change the quality of life. However, there are visible differences that have been pointed out by global support that aims at moderating the biotechnology use. The Reasoning of Opposing Perspective on Ethical Issues within the Field of Biomedicine The regulation and development of biotechnology has triggered many discussions from various academic fields like the law, economics, politics, and even the history. Specifically, however, the science of genetic engineering of plants, animals, human beings, and all living cells has brought about ethical concerns and various issues to the forefront. Technology has made possible many advancements in biomedicine such as the cloning of the sheep- Dolly, the genetically engineered tomatoes, and the cloning of the human embryo. All these advancements have seen different reactions all in the name of ethics. The classical division existing between the society and science doesn’t seem to revolve when biotechnology is viewed through an ethical lens. Indeed, science has been found out insufficient in providing adequate and technical answers to the existing questions regarding the moral values such as justice, dignity, freedom, and autonomy or even the existing...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...the processed and unprocessed foods sold in supermarkets have been genetically engineered and yet, 59% of us are clueless about it (IFIC, 2008). The technology of genetic engineering or genetic modification is widely used in food industry because it produces plants that have better qualities such as bigger size and longer shelf life while reducing the production cost at the same time. However, there are concerns regarding the safety of GM foods for human consumption. This is due to several health incidents in the past that have been linked to ingestion of GM organisms such as the death of 37 people in 1987 caused by a food supplement that contains GM bacteria(Taggart, 2010, par. 7). Research studies also show that GM foods could cause allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance and even organ deterioration. Although genetically modified foods possess favorable attributes, they could also introduce new allergens and toxins that are dangerous to human health making these foods unsafe for consumption. What are GM Foods? Genetically modified (GM) foods refer to food items in which the genetic make-up has been altered. Some processed foods can also be considered GM foods if one or more of its ingredients have been genetically modified. This new generation of foods are made possible by the technology of genetic engineering which is the manipulation of DNA structure of an organism either through splicing or silencing of genes (Schneider & Schneider, 2002, par. 4). In gene splicing...
Words: 2904 - Pages: 12
...methods of genetic engineering. Genetically Modified crops are available commercially since 1994. Majority of the gene modification of foods have primarily focused on cash crops which are in high demand such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. These crops have been engineered for resistance to pathogens and herbicides and better nutrient profiles (Wikipedia). According to an article by author Robert Shields, more than 26 percent of the cotton, 40 percent of the soybean acreage in the US was planted with GM crops containing gene for herbicide resistance by the year 1998. The application of Agri-biotechnology has increased by 60 fold since 1996 and by 2015 it is predicted that in about 40 countries more than 200 million hectares of lands will be planted by biotech crops (Maghari 1). The invention of agricultural biotechnology has caused social and ethical contradictions. There are extensive debates active in scientific circles as to how modern biotechnology can be used for planting high quality of high yield crops to meet the challenge of feeding the ever increasing population while protecting the ecosystem and human health. Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) have made a big splatter in the news lately. Environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months. Recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars have brought the issue of genetic engineering...
Words: 1702 - Pages: 7
