The Pursuit of Genetic Engineering Essay - 4075 Words

The Pursuit of Genetic Engineering Imagine a world where diabetes is effectively treated, where cancer has a cure, and where food is altered for higher quality and increased production. This â€Å"fantasy† world is on the brink of becoming a reality due to advances in genetic engineering and cloning. These medical innovations have the potential to revolutionize our lives in numerous ways. However, the fear of controversy and the fear of the â€Å"new† could hinder and possibly halt any progress that we are capable of making. There are concerns that society should carefully consider. It is important, though, to thoroughly research and examine a topic in order to understand why there should be no fear caused by cloning and genetic engineering†¦show more content†¦Basically, there are two ways to genetically engineer an organism. The genetic material in the organism is altered, for example, by cutting some out. In other cases, genetic material is taken from one organism and put into another after being genetically altered (Walker 1). Cloning, on the other hand, is when an exact copy of something, for example, a cell, is made (Thro 107). Something in the human body, like a cell, is extracted and then tricked into reproduction, and if the process is successful, then an exact copy of the extracted cell is made (Fischer 57). The processes for genetic engineering and cloning are similar but most certainly not the same. To understand the processes it is necessary to understand the basics of genetics and how the human body works. To put it simply, cells make up all organisms of life. Cells have many functions: they extract chemicals from the environment to feed themselves, get rid of their waste, self-replicate, and grow. These complex functions are what make cells so unique. All cells are the same size, so the number of cells that are present determines the size of the organism, not the size of the cells (Walker 4). A human’s cells are termed multi-cellular because many different cells are needed to make up the human body. Algae, on the other hand, are unicellular because there is only one type of cell needed to make up the organism (Walker 5-6). Cells are comprised of genes.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Genetic Engineering and the Pursuit of Perfection1905 Words   |  8 Pagesnear, a jock pushes his books out of his hands. He’s teased, being the school wimp. They call him names like â€Å"undesirable†, â€Å"god-child†, and â€Å"in-valid†. Of course nobody cares for a less-than-perfect child whose genetic makeup was left to fate. With the introduction of genetic engineering into society, people like this young boy simply have no hope for competing against the likes of the genetically reimagined, â€Å"perfect† jock, people engineered to be unflawed. 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