Genetic Engineering

Name: Bhaskar Chitraju
English 11 1st Hour
27 March, 2002

Genetic Engineering is the intentional manipulation of genetic material. Human understanding on this subject is very minute. Any interference in a person's genetic make up can cause irreversible damage outweighing the benefits of genetic engineering such as eradication of diseases, hereditary defects, and a shortage of nutritious food.

Genetic engineering is a radically new technology altering the traits of living organisms by inserting genetic material that has been manipulated by artificial means. Because of this, genetic engineering may one day encompass the routine addition of novel genes that have been wholly synthesized in the laboratory ("What is Genetic Engineering?"). With the use of genetic engineering we can now move genes from one species to another. According to Websters' Concise Dictionary, a gene is a unit occupying a distinct position on a chromosome and having a crucial function in the transmission of a specific characteristic from the parent to offspring" (Websters' Concise Dictionary 295). In short, genes are blueprints for any organism's trait. We are made up of approximately 70,000 to 100,000 genes. Genetic engineering removes all the barriers that have been preserved by nature. As it has no restrictions on the number of combinations, with the help of genetic engineering we can produce organisms that would never have been found in nature. Such an artificial technology is radically different from traditional plant and animal breeding. The technique involves highly sophisticated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals. ("What is...?").

Through genetic engineering, organisms are given new combinations of genes and therefore new combination of traits ("What is Genetic Engineering?"). In the process of genetic engineering, there is a risk of disruption to other genes that are quite essential to sustain life. Humans began moving genes around inside other forms of life the moment they invented agriculture (Radford). Present fruits are quite different from the ones that are in the wild due to generations of selective breeding for their juiciness and sweetness. A lot of genes are common to us and many other organisms due to same ancestry. Yeast for example, has a gene of a human breast cancer because we descended from yeast in the first place.

As said earlier, Genetic Engineering has no restrictions, thus creating wide possibilities for creation of Genetically Engineered Organisms. Genetically Engineered Organism is any living thing that has had its genetic structure altered by genetic engineering. A Genetically Engineered Organism is also called a Genetically Modified Organism. These new organisms have never been part of nature, therefore after their introduction into our ecosystem we cannot envision what these organisms will the ecosystem and to human health. These new organisms when introduced might eliminate existing species, thereby upsetting the natural balance of organisms. Contrary to the arguments made by some proponents, genetic engineering is far from being a minor extension of existing breeding technologies ("What is Genetic Engineering?"). Genetic engineering is entirely different from breeding and traditional practices.

Advancement in the field of genetic engineering has led to advancement and development of many other technologies. These new technologies and advancements are both dangerous and threaten humanity. Consequences resulting from these new technologies can be disastrous, as we don not fully understand their consequences and their impact on our ecology. Biotechnology and cloning are one of these technologies. Both biotechnology and cloning come with a promise to benefit humanity. But who knows what hidden disasters these new technologies bring with them.

Biotechnology is the manipulation of biological organisms that helps benefit human beings (Levine). Biotechnology has existed for many centuries but dramatic advancements have been made in this field in just recent years due to success in genetic engineering. Today, biotechnology is used in many fields. For example, biotechnology is used to create new biodegradable materials that are used in waste management. Another example is in the field of mining industry - copper in its natural state is found in the mineral chalcopyrite. The bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans can use molecules found in chalcopyrite to form copper sulfate, which in turn can be chemically treated to obtain pure copper.

Use of genetically modified (GM) plants has huge potential. Benefits of biotechnology would be in the field of agriculture, including nutritious foods, pesticides, and animal drugs. Genetically engineered crops should revolutionize farming. Over the next decade GM technology can be used to improve the nutritional quality of crops and thereby improve human health. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) increase productivity in a world that is currently drowning in too much grain ("GMOs are good science but bad politics.."). According to Time.com, genetically modified foods can save a million kids a year (Nash 38-46).

GM food offers nutritional food for everyone, but fact is that it isn't that necessary. In fact there is more than enough food produced by conventional agriculture, without genetic engineering, to feed all of the world's people ("Genetic Engineering at a Historic Crossroads"). The only reason why people starve is due to lack of effort from the administrations worldwide. If the food distribution were effective, people wouldn't have to starve. If GM food is introduced on wide scale it might lead to even more hunger in poor nations due to food insecurity. Therefore any claims by biotech industry that GM food will save people from starving are baseless.

According to Websters' Concise Dictionary, Cloning is the production of progeny that is genetically identical with a single progenitor (Websters' Concise Dictionary 132). Cloning is a new technology that is very closely related to genetic engineering (Torr 14). A clone is an organism that has been derived from another organism through asexual reproductive process (Clarke). Usually, the members of a clone are identical in their inherited characteristics, that is, in their genes except for any differences caused by mutations. Due to the advances in genetic engineering, scientists can now isolate genes from one organism and then grow it in an organism of a different species. Cloning technique in theory can produce multiple genetically identical individuals and has been successfully performed on mice and frogs. In 1997, researcher Ian Wilmut and his colleagues announced the birth of a sheep names Dolly that was produced from an adult female sheep. The creation of Dolly provided a unique advance in cloning technology.

Even though it appears that genetic engineering has the potential to offer, its risks are too big to be ignored. Genetic engineering is like performing heart surgery with a shovel. Scientists do not yet understand living systems completely enough to perform DNA surgery without creating mutations which could be harmful to the environment and our health. They are experimenting with very delicate, yet powerful forces of nature, without full knowledge of the repercussions (qtd.in "What are the Dangers?"). Our scientists do not yet completely understand the function of our DNA, but biotech companies have already planted millions of acres of Genetically Modified plants to increase their profits rather than being concerned by consequences to humanity and our ecosystem. Even worse there has never been a long-term safety testing of GM food, therefore we don't know if these foods are safe for us to eat or not. There are many types of Gm food, and even if one type of them is proven safe after a lifetime of human consumption, what about the other types of GM food that we will consume in our lifetime.

With every new technology we discover there are both risks and benefits. Many previous technologies have proven to have adverse effects unexpected by their developers ("Risks of Genetic Engineering"). DDT, for example, turned out to accumulate in fish and thin shells of fish-eating birds like eagles and ospreys. Chlorofluocarbons turned out to float into the atmosphere and destroy ozone, a chemical that shields the earth from dangerous radiation (1). Therefore we don't know what dangerous and harmful effects Genetically Modified Organisms will bring in the future. Even though our scientists have found no dangers associated with Genetically Engineered Organisms, it is better if we act now and stop the advancement of Genetically engineering. According t David J. Heaf, "Our activities around the globe including genetic engineering threaten the existence of life on our planet along with the extinction of humanity."

Genetic engineering can lead to unpredicted harmful changes in our diet. It has been suggest that the introduction of viral DNA sequences into GM plants would produce new viruses through recombination either with the remnants of viral DNA sequences that are commonly found in genomes of all species or with naturally infecting plants and animal viruses. This GM food might become incorporated into our genetic make-up and create higher levels of toxin in food. According to Jim Smith, infants eating baby food are particularly vulnerable, because they had such a narrow diet (Brown). Introduction of genes into a plant can cause change in the expression of its existing gene and may cause that plant to become allergenic.

Widespread use of herbicide tolerant crops can lead to increase in resistance to herbicides and therefore leading a growth of weeds. There is already evidence of "super weeds" created by spread of pollen carrying the herbicide resistant trait. Once these genetic organisms are released, it is impossible to contain them. When these genetic organisms are out of control, they might destroy their native and wild cousins upsetting the natural balance. GMO might also eliminate al the competition thus causing serious damage to the local environment.

Therefore genetic engineering should be considered an environmentally dangerous technology that is breaking down all the barriers that have been protected by the integrity of species for millions of years. Though GM food seems good, in the future it will become a liability. GM plants must be compared with their conventional counterparts. Most importantly public debate regarding genetic engineering must take place, as it is important for the public to know the dangers of the use of these new technologies and how they can avoid them. Also potential dangers of genetic engineering must be identified so that if an event arises, contaminator of GMO is quite successful.

Risks of genetically engineered organisms must be assessed case by case and these risks can differ from one organism to another ("Risks of Genetic Engineering"). Studies also need to be made regarding potential health problems among sub-groups of the human population. Also it is quite necessary that the ethical issues be taken into account regarding the cloning of human embryos. Genetic engineering is quite dangerous and utmost attention must be paid. Although genetic engineering is both dangerous and beneficial to our ecosystem, it can lead to destruction of our ecosystem or lead to a better world where everyone is free of poverty and has enough food.