Emma Gau

Professor Kevin Moore

Writing 2E

10 May 2017

The Genetic Engineering of Body Parts

Missing limbs, which was once seen as a disability, can now be seen

as a means for bodily improvement due to vast advancements in medical

technology. Recently, scientists have been seeking methods to genetically

engineer, or grow body parts to replace unnatural, robotic-looking

prosthetic limbs. This would surely reduce discrimination in everyday, as

well as competitive activities. In the future, body parts grown in a

laboratory environment could replace current prosthetic limbs and organ

donors, saving society from aesthetic discrimination and the sacrificing of

body parts.

Although the genetic engineering of body parts is certainly beneficial

in some aspects, it does not come without controversy. Scientists from the

University of California, Davis, have already begun the process of human

organs inside pigs [1]. To do this, the team uses a gene-editing technology

known as CRISPR to alter pig embryos by deleting the genes that code for

the creation of a pancreas. They then inject these embryos with human

stem cells, in hopes that these pig embryos will develop normally but the

pancreas will be made almost exclusively out of human cells and could be
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compatible with a patient for transplantation [2]. Some fear that this

practice will alter the pigs brains, making them more human, and many

urge scientists to avoid playing god. Another issue surrounding this

practice is the fact that it is still relatively new and untested. The

consequences of the genetic engineering of body parts are still unclear, and

as mentioned before, could lead to issues in the genetic makeup of the hosts

used to perform this experiment, such as pigs and mice. There is also the

matter of how cost effective this practice is. The implementation of current

prosthetic limbs and donated organs have been thoroughly researched and

tested. On the other hand, questions have been raised in regard to how

artificially-grown human body parts would be transplanted to patients, as

well as how much of an investment would be needed for this practice.

While such controversies encompassing the growing of human body

parts should not be ignored, its potential benefits to the functioning of

society should also be taken into consideration. Discrimination in

appearance, for one, may be reduced by replacing the current, unrealistic-

looking prosthetic limbs with those created by genetic engineering. This

idea further establishes itself in respect to activities such as work and

sports. Debates regarding the usage of prosthetic limbs in competitive

activities is common, with many stating that those with prosthetic limbs are

given an unfair advantage over those without. This is because the muscles
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in human limbs become fatigued after they are overworked, while this

disadvantage is virtually nonexistent in electronic limbs [3]. As Hossein

Hossani, a researcher at Bournemouth University states, the prosthesis

spring-like design could propel an athlete in a way that is not quite like the

able bodied athletes [3]. Therefore it is no surprise that people without

prosthetic limbs might feel physically inferior to those with prosthetic limbs.

Furthermore, if the process of genetically-engineering body parts becomes

successful, it may replace the demand for organ donors. This would mean

simultaneously saving donors from sacrificing their body parts and patients

from their lack thereof, in return creating a revolutionary and more efficient

medical practice.

Despite the numerous criticisms concerning genetic engineering in

general, the growing of body parts in a laboratory environment could take

humanity many steps further in more ways than one. In comparison to the

current prosthetic limbs, genetically engineered limbs would prove to be

fairer in various activities, while also inhibiting discrimination in society.

Genetically engineered limbs could also lessen the demand for organ donors

and potentially save more lives. While the novel process of creating body

parts from scratch may seem like a daunting and risky task, it is no doubt a

valuable process that should be researched more and possibly carried out in

the future.
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Works Cited

30th J. 2015, 11th J. 2015, 12th J. 2015, 27th O. 2015, and 19th F. 2016,

Running with prosthetic lower-limbs: an advantage or

disadvantage?, BU Research. [Online]. Available:

https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/2015/06/running-with-prosthetic-

lower-limbs-an-advantage-or-disadvantage/. [Accessed: 22-Mar-2017].

B. Taub, Scientists Are Growing Human Organs Inside Pigs, IFLScience,

17-Feb-2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.iflscience.com/health-

and-medicine/scientists-are-growing-human-organs-inside-pigs/.

[Accessed: 22-Mar-2017].

M. Weisberger, 11 Body Parts Grown in the Lab, LiveScience, 26-Jan-

2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.livescience.com/53470-11-lab-

grown-body-parts.html. [Accessed: 22-Mar-2017].