Genetic modified plants and foods
In the poorer parts of Asia, rice, which lacks of vitamin A, is almost the only food for the people. The deficiency of vitamin A in people often leads to early blindness. Genetic engineers have transferred the genes for vitamin A into rice. Besides, rice is not rich in iron causing anaemia. This is a more difficult problem because rice contains an enzyme called phytase preventing the body from absorbing iron. Therefore it does little good to increase iron content because rice plant cannot reproduce without adequate phytase in the grain. People hope to find a gene coding for a protein that will break down pyhytase when rice is cooked. Besides, people have produced GM potato plants that are resistant to a virus attack and maize plant that are resistant to drought. It reduces the need for chemicals and creates bigger yields. GM food has triggered much debate. But in the face of natural disasters, drought and a growing population, bio-technology may offer a way out.
Genetic modified animals
Genetic engineering provides scientists with the ability to create pharmaceutical animals. They can produce pharmaceutical and other valuable substances in their milk, eggs and semen. e.g. working on goats that carry genes from spiders allowing them to produce spider silk in their milk. When spider silk is taken from goat’s milk, the substance can be used in things such as bullet-proof vests. e.g. human proteins, like haemoglobin and blood-clotting factors, are already produced in the milk of transgenic cows, goats and sheep.
Genetic engineered micro-organisms
Patients suffering from diabetics cannot produce insulin. But now genes for insulin are spliced into bacteria. Bacteria are then grown in a fermenter. Cell division in bacteria is so quick that large amount of insulin can be produced within a short time.
From what I’ve mentioned seem to have lots of advantages on human because they lead a break through to cure genetic diseases. The first gene therapy trial in human corrected a life-threatening immune disorder in a two-year-old girl, is doing well after ten years. Gene therapy not only saved the family from a $60,000 drug bill per year but also alleviated the pain that the little girl would have suffered. Scientists are creating a map of all human chromosomes, identifying the precise location of every gene. This programme called the Human Genome Project helps to develop new gene therapy treatments. As DNA technology advances, human lives are maintained and prolonged. Could we say that it can only benefit human without its pitfalls?
Misuse is a big issue. ‘The potential for misuse is reasonable enough for closing the door of genetic engineering completely --- the benefits just aren’t worth the risks.’ If genetic engineering is used to produce super-humans and to determine the sex of their children, needless to say, misuse in these two issues would bring people into a terrible situation.
Producing super-human
By far we don’t know what genetic factors determine popular desired traits such as athletic ability, intelligence, appearance and personality, what if in the next few decades, many of these unknowns are anticipated and engineering for advantageous characteristics becomes possible. Wouldn’t this allow people who have become super-human eradicate the other? Wouldn’t all people become exactly the same like robots just because they’ve chosen the same best gene in all aspects?
Boys or girls, up to you
For this issue, we’ve to look into both the positive and negative sides. I think that being able to determine babies’ sex isn’t actually that bad. Procedures, separating sperm that carry the Y chromosome from those that carry the X chromosome can reduce sex-linked genetic disease like colour-blindness, haemophilia. On the other hand, determining children’s sex just because of people’s willingness like ‘I’d like a girl because I’ve already got a boy.’ is definitely unacceptable.
Conclusion
After all, I come to a conclusion that the use of recombinant DNA technology can benefit human is obvious, solid and practical. There is nothing wrong with the technology itself. It’s a question of how to apply it, who applies it and to whom it’s applied. It has the greatest impact ever on religion, moral, ethic, our basic values and beliefs. When the key of life mystery is unlocked, human begin to interfere nature, to make life and eventually men. Any slightest mistake or misuse would end up in extinction not a race, a nation but of all human. People’s worries are understandable. It’s like every advanced technology, any misuse or fall in the wrong hand would be catastrophe. But if we still believe human’s intelligence, recombinant DNA technology used correctly can definitely benefit human.
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Bibliography
- Internet
- AQA Biology AS specification A (A New Introduction to Biology)
--- Bill Indge
--- Martin Rowland
--- Margaret Baker
- University of Bath. Science 16-19 (Biology) --- Martin Rowland
- A passion for DNA Genes, Genomes and Society --- James D. Watson
- Genetic Engineering --- J. Williams,
--- A. Ceccarelli and N. Spurr
- South China Morning Post
- HERE-NOW4U Online magazine