Genetic Engineering Research Paper

November 11, 2009

Genetic engineering is a scientific process that has recently come a long way.
Within the past four years of the twentieth century we have witnessed the most
rapid adoption of a new technology in history. Millions of acres of farmland
have been planted with genetically engineered crops since 1996. The crops
consist mainly of corn, soybeans, and cotton. Genetic engineering techniques
allow scientists to insert specific genes into plants and/or animals. Also, species
are very easily crossed using genetic engineering. There are many good things
that come with genetic engineering; however, there are many bad things as well.
Because of this, genetic engineering has caused a great deal of concern and
debate.
Genetic engineering is a very interesting process used to alter plants and
animals. It is a new technology that combines genes from totally dissimilar
species in combinations that are not achievable using conventional breeding
methods. Genes from an animal, say, a fish, can be put into a plant, a strawberry
for instance, in attempt to improve the strawberry plants. The fish gene is
supposed to make the strawberries more resistant to frost by causing the
strawberry plant to compose a form of antifreeze which the fish normally
produces to endure cold conditions in water.
Although genetic engineering has been going on for over 30 years, it has just
lately begun to cause so much commotion. The reason for this is that it wasnt
until recently that scientists began to master to art of genetic engineering and
commonly using them in our animals and crops. Until the mid 1990s, the
organisms produced by genetic engineering were nearly all confined to
laboratories or controlled factory setting. During this time, the main use of
genetic engineering was to produce medically useful substances such as insulin.
Over the past four years, there has been an unrestrained expansion of genetic
engineering into agriculture. By 1999 almost 80 million acres of North
American farmland were planted with seed that had been genetically
engineered.
If you dont know all of the facts about genetically engineered food, it seems like
an excellent idea. With genetic engineering, you can change plants and animals
in many ways that are beneficial to our health and way of life. A genetically
engineered vegetable can withhold ice cold conditions and contain more
vitamins than a natural vegetable. Genetic engineering is also a way to improve
food production and could possibly even result in the solution to world hunger.
Another reason why genetic engineering recently became so popular is because
its developers claim that it will reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides.
However, there are many bad things that come along with these good aspects of
genetic engineering.
Over 70% of the foods on store shelves contain genetically engineered
components. Although such a large amount of foods in the United States are
manufactured with genetically engineered ingredients, there is no requirement
that these items are labeled. A great deal of corn and potatoes have been
genetically engineered to contain a gene from Bt bacteria which causes every cell
of the plants to produce a insecticide toxin. However, there is no way of knowing
if the vegetable that you are buying contains this, or any similar genetically
engineered ingredients. Along with labeling, effective testing of genetically
engineered foods are excused by the FDA as well.
Another poor aspect of genetic engineering is regarding allergic reactions. The
genetic engineering of crops and food-producing animals can produce toxic and
allergic reactions in humans. Someone allergic to peanuts or shellfish, for
instance, would have no way of knowing if a tomato or other food had been
altered with proteins from these substances. Genetic engineering could also
transfer new and unidentified proteins from various bacteria that have never
been known in food supply before, meaning that their toxic or allergic
characteristics are unknown. Because of this, the consumption of genetically
engineered foods could be discomforting or in some cases even fatal to certain
people.
Genetic engineering poses a dangerous threat of pollution to the environment.
Genetically engineered organisms that escape or are released from the
laboratory could have a prospectively disastrous affect on the earth. Genetically
engineered biological pollutants have the potential to be even more destructive
than chemical pollutants. Genetically engineered products are alive, and
because of this they are more unpredictable than chemical products- they can
reproduce, transform, and migrate. Also, unlike chemical or nuclear
contamination, gene pollution can never be cleaned up. This could lead to
devastating permanent damage to the environment.
Genetic engineering is a radical new technology that has the potential to change
our society. Genetic engineering allows people to insert specific genes into a
plants and animals to alter the species. Currently over 70% of food that
Americans eat is genetically altered in some way. The main crops that are
altered are canola, cotton, potatoes and soy. However, there are many other
items that are being genetically engineered as well, including animals and trees.
Although genetic engineering has a lot of good points, there are many bad
points as well. Nevertheless, genetic engineering is still a rather new technology
and there is a lot of time and room for improvement.