Advantages of Genetic Cloning
Contributes significantly to biotechnology research
Imagine what people can do if
they can transplant genes from one species to another. The possibilities are
endless. In the field of biotechnology, genetic engineering paved the way for
xenotransplantation or the process of transplanting living tissues or organs
from animals to humans or vice versa. The research revealed the possibility of
using pig organs as replacements for human hearts and kidneys, considering that
they have similar physiology and size. It also led to tissue engineering that
is now considered an alternative to replacement of cartilage, cerebrospinal
shunts, heart valves and other organs. Suffice to say that plenty of things can
be achieved with genome editing.
Increases the possibility of eradicating hunger
Among the many species and items
that are genetically modified, plants are a favorite subject. Companies that
want to create a sweeter tomato, bigger cherries and herbicide resistant crops
can do so through GM. There may be health and safety concerns attached to the
genetically engineered food and crops, but proponents assure that the breeding
process is only an extension of the natural way. After all, the tissues used
for the cell culture still come from a living organism.
Potential to Live Longer
Although humans are already
living longer and longer – in fact, our lifespan has shot up by a number of
years in a very short amount of time – because of the advances of modern
medical science, genetic engineering could make our time on Earth even longer.
There are specific, common illnesses and diseases that can take hold later in
life and can end up killing us earlier than necessary. With genetic
engineering, on the other hand, we could reverse some of the most basic reasons
for the body’s natural decline on a cellular level, drastically improving both
the span of our lives and the quality of life later on. It could also help
humans adapt to the growing problems of, for instance, global warming in the world. If the places we live in
become either a lot hotter or colder, we are going to need to adapt, but
evolution takes many thousands of years, so genetic engineering can help us
adapt quicker and better.
Produce New Foods
Genetic engineering is not just
good for people. With genetic engineering we can design foods that are better
able to withstand harsh temperatures – such as the very hot or very cold, for
instance – and that are packed full of all the right nutrients that humans and
animals need to survive. We may also be able to make our foods have a better
medicinal value, thus introducing edible vaccines readily available to people
all over the world
Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering
Is it ‘Right’
When genetic engineering first
became possible, peoples’ first reactions were to immediately question whether
it was ‘right’? Many religions believe that genetic engineering, after all, is
tantamount to playing God, and expressly forbid that it is performed on their
children, for instance. Besides the religious arguments, however, there are a number
of ethic objections. These diseases, after all, exist for a reason and have
persisted throughout history for a reason. Whilst we should be fighting against
them, we do need at least a few illnesses, otherwise we would soon become overpopulated. In fact, living longer is already causing
social problems in the world today, so to artificially extend everybody’s time
on Earth might cause even more problems further down the line, problems that we
cannot possibly predict.
May Lead to Genetic
Defects
Another real problem with
genetic engineering is the question about the safety of making changes at the
cellular level. Scientists do not yet know absolutely everything about the way
that the human body works (although they do, of course, have a very good idea).
How can they possibly understand the ramifications of slight changes made at
the smallest level? What if we manage to wipe out one disease only to introduce
something brand new and even more dangerous? Additionally, if scientists
genetically engineer babies still in the womb, there is a very real and present
danger that this could lead to complications, including miscarriage (early on),
premature birth or even stillbirth, all of which are unthinkable.
Has associated consequences and
possible irreversible effects
Even
scientists themselves believe that genetic engineering can have irreversible
side effects, especially with hereditarily modified genes. After all, the
process at the present uses viral factor to carry functional genes to the human
body. Viral genes as they are, they are likely to leave certain side effects.
Also, where the functional genes are placed in the genome is not exactly known.
In the event that they replace other important genes instead of the mutated
ones, other forms of diseases or health conditions are likely to develop. Is
the world equipped to battle new illnesses that may turn out to be deadlier
than ever?
Increased food supply can lead to
adverse effects
Genetically
modified wild rice is added with better carotene, which is needed by the human
body to make vitamin A. This provides a perfect solution for vitamin A
deficiency. Unfortunately, there are worries that GM organisms might actually
be harmful to people. The added beta carotene levels aren’t high enough to even
make a difference as well. Herbicide resistant crops, on the other hand, may
reduce the quantity of herbicide requirements, but it can lead to the growth of
weeds that are resistant to herbicide and the loss of weed species that are
essential to animal food and shelter. Suffice to say that modifying genes can
have uncertain effects on humans and the environment.
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