The Moral, Ethical and Legal issues surrounding Genetic Engineering.

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The Moral, Ethical and Legal issues surrounding Genetic Engineering

Fatimah Jilani

Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering refers to the methods and results related with the alteration of the genetic or hereditary material carried by genes of an organism. These genes contain all the information, which needed to facilitate cells to replicate themselves. An example of genetic engineering is The Human Genome Project. This project, before 2005, will have mapped out the entire human genetic blueprint known as the genome. Its aim is to treat genetic disorders, such as Down’s Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, etc. Research on the human genome can be done on aborted foetuses. Important areas of genetic research include genetic modification of crops (modification of plants and animals); Somatic-cell therapy (human genetic engineering); Germ-line therapy and Cloning. One of the main objectives of genetic research is to remove actual abnormalities present in human genes in order to get rid of serious and/or life-threatening handicaps.

Genetic engineering techniques’ include:

  • Selective breeding of plants/animals: -

 In selective breeding, only those plants or animals with desirable characteristics are selected for further breeding.

  • Hybridisation which is the reproduction between different species or strains: -

This is cross-breeding, which may involve different strains of a species or members of different species in an attempt to combine the most desirable characteristics of both.

  • Recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): -

In recombinant DNA, one or more genes of an organism are introduced to another organism. If the second organism incorporates the new DNA into its own it has recombined DNA results.

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General advantages to genetic engineering are as follows:

  • The diseases could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain  diseases, and preparing for the worst. Also, implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen can treat infectious diseases.
  • Animals and plants can be 'tailor made' to show desired characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO and reduce the threat of global warming.
  • Genetic Engineering could increase genetic range, and produce more variant alleles, which could be crossed over and implanted into ...

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