Genetic engineering why is it used




















Gene therapy is becoming a reality as you read this. Genetic engineering for enhancement is still a ways off. Plenty of debate is sure to occur over both issues. Columbia, MO Contact.

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Read More. Education Research Patient Care. Student Resources Faculty Resources. More Search. Can't find what you're looking for? Pages No Results. Center for Health Ethics. Section Menu. Confusing Terminology If genetic engineering is meant in a very broad sense to include any intentional genetic alteration, then it includes gene therapy. Somatic Cells and Reproductive Cells Two fundamental kinds of cell are somatic cells and reproductive cells.

Techniques of Genetic Alteration Two problems must be confronted when changing genes. Arguments in Favor of Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering Gene therapy is often viewed as morally unobjectionable, though caution is urged. Arguments Against Genetic Engineering Ethicists have generally been even more concerned about possible problems with and implications of enhancement genetic engineering than they have been about gene therapy.

Following are some other important objections: Genetic engineering is against the natural or supernatural order. The thought here is that God, or evolution, has created a set of genes for human beings that are either what we should have or that offer us the best survival value.

It is against what God or nature intended to tinker with this genetic code, not to bring it up to normal as in gene therapy , but to create new kinds of beings.

When these agents are unable to get through the natural repellents which engineers create for each life form, they can work on becoming stronger and more resistant to the changes made, creating new issues for plants and animals which are not benefiting from the genetic engineering process.

It creates the potential for unwanted side effects. Penn State University suggests that when genetic engineers try to tackle one problem with plant or animal cellular structure, it creates an opportunity for additional side effects to occur which may be unanticipated or unwanted. It may become possible to modify an organism so that it requires less water for survival. This outcome occurs at the expense of creating a life form that is now intolerant to direct sunlight.

Even though our predictive qualities in this field are increasing, we still do not know what happens when we artificially advance the evolution of life. It would create an unfavorable level of diversity. Have you heard that diversity is what gives us strength? This observation is generally true because having differences in our genetic structures reduces the chances of an unwanted mutation occurring.

This positive outlook occurs naturally through the evolutionary process. When we make changes to a species that gets out into the wild, then we can have a negative impact on those which are not modified.

It could create unpredictable outcomes. Creating crops and food supplies which are genetically tailored to grow in specific geographical areas makes it possible to do more with fewer resources. It also creates a potential problem for agricultural workers if the environmental conditions change in the future. France is experiencing this issue with its vineyards right now because weather pattern changes are bringing frost and cold not seen since It might make it possible for companies to copyright our food.

Because genetic engineering is an artificial process, our current copyright laws make it possible for these organizations to obtain a patent on the structures they create. This format is in place as a way to help organizations recoup their research and development losses through future profits. When this issue applies to food supplies, then it creates a world where we must go through specific businesses to obtain what we need for basic survival unless there are alternative resources to use.

A company could refuse to let anyone use their product as well, theoretically cutting off an entire industry at its knees to advance its own agenda. It can put agricultural workers at risk for financial harm. The reality of genetic engineering is already here. In some cases, the seeds came from an authorized farmer and blew into neighboring fields because of regular growing conditions.

In total, over patent infringement lawsuits against farmers have already been filed in at least 27 states. It can reduce the amount of diversity in our food supply. Although the purpose of genetic engineering is to improve diversity in positive ways, the outcome can be far different when a quest for profit is involved.

Genetically engineered commodity crops, under the influences of patent protection, have become overwhelmingly dominant in our food supply already in the United States. It could be used for abusive purposes. We currently look at the process of genetic engineering as a way to save people from the various maladies that can affect them through no fault of their own.

Using corrective tools to repair a chromosome issue in a fetus increases the potential of that human life. The issue is that the same tools can target specific sequences that could change the way a child looks, such as their hair or eye color.

It may be possible to alter the intelligence of an individual through this process as well. It could interact negatively with other species. Genetic engineering could create a series of unknown hybrids through the natural cross-pollination process that would provide unpredictable results for society. Others think it is ethically wrong to create new life forms, or to move genes between different species. In the future researchers are hoping to use genetic engineering to be able to overcome some inherited disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease amongst others.

Current uses of genetic engineering Diabetes is a disorder in which the body's blood glucose levels remain too low or too high. Genetically modified crops Current genetically modified crops include those that are resistant to insect attack or are herbicide resistant, this produced increased yields.

For example, early farmers developed cross-breeding methods to grow corn with a range of colors, sizes, and uses.

Most of the foods we eat today were created through traditional breeding methods. But changing plants and animals through traditional breeding can take a long time, and it is difficult to make very specific changes. After scientists developed genetic engineering in the s, they were able to make similar changes in a more specific way and in a shorter amount of time. PDF KB. Circa BCE Humans use traditional modification methods like selective breeding and cross-breeding to breed plants and animals with more desirable traits.

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