Genetic Engineering: Friend or Foe?
There is much debate these days over genetic modification of organisms. Many
religious groups claim genetic engineering is "doing the work of God" but scientists
believe it is crucial for our future benefit. You can hear about it in the news, read about it
in magazines and journals as well as the internet. Is this process helpful or harmful in the
long run?
Before I delve into the pros and cons of such a procedure, I must first define
exactly what genetic engineering (a.k.a biotechnology) is. It involves splicing genes and
manipulating them in such a way that is outside an organisms natural reproductive
process. DNA is isolated then reintroduced into cells in an effort to create new attributes
to the organism. These attributes could include crop resistance to herbicide, introducing a
novel or more improved trait, or producing a new protein or enzyme. Many agricultural
and biotechnological companies envision a variety of benefits stemming from genetic
engineering. They include animals engineered for leaner meat, plants with longer shelf
life, and bacteria engineered to produce drugs for livestock.
Genetic modification permits alteration of the structure of proteins and is a strong
tool in analyzing the structure-function relationships in protein research. In
There is much debate these days over genetic modification of organisms. Many
religious groups claim genetic engineering is "doing the work of God" but scientists
believe it is crucial for our future benefit. You can hear about it in the news, read about it
in magazines and journals as well as the internet. Is this process helpful or harmful in the
long run?
Before I delve into the pros and cons of such a procedure, I must first define
exactly what genetic engineering (a.k.a biotechnology) is. It involves splicing genes and
manipulating them in such a way that is outside an organisms natural reproductive
process. DNA is isolated then reintroduced into cells in an effort to create new attributes
to the organism. These attributes could include crop resistance to herbicide, introducing a
novel or more improved trait, or producing a new protein or enzyme. Many agricultural
and biotechnological companies envision a variety of benefits stemming from genetic
engineering. They include animals engineered for leaner meat, plants with longer shelf
life, and bacteria engineered to produce drugs for livestock.
Genetic modification permits alteration of the structure of proteins and is a strong
tool in analyzing the structure-function relationships in protein research. In