Genetic engineering offers so many promises of medical and scientific advancement that it is unethical for it to be banned. Genetic engineering is vital for the cure of genetic diseases such as Parkinson's. The medical discoveries that will be made during the course of cloning research will contribute to the never-ending quest for understanding ourselves and defining who we are.
Scientists have been working on a genetic level never before approached. They are directly studying genes and DNA, the very building blocks of humans and the source of potentials, physical make up, and tendencies; the information that defines who we are and what we become. DNA also holds the information that we need to discover the cures for, and nature of, many complex genetic diseases that plague the human race and cause so much suffering. The answer to cancer and diabetes lie in our genes. Genetic engineering will lead us to the cure for what we now define as incurable diseases, for infertility, as well as creating another fertility option.
The secret of cancer and aging are also found at this genetic level. Cloning is also capable of regenerating specific cells - spinal cord, skin, and even bone marrow from victims of leukaemia. We cannot ignore the possibilities of another "medical revolution."
Many diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or hemophilia, are caused by an inherited defect in a single gene (monogenic). Monogenic inherited diseases are the most obvious place to start. By altering or replacing that gene, doctors can help that patient live a longer, healthier life. Sometimes the affected gene is non-active and needs to be replaced and other times it can be activated by altering or controlling the expression of the gene. But how do you go about altering a gene in a human being?
One way is...
Nice work
I rather enjoyed this essay. But Genetic Engineering does open up a Pandora's box. How far should man go? It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The temptation to control the entire genetic makeup of a child is incredibly strong for parents. Who would not want their own child to be born with the best start possible? To quote a phrase from Gattaca "He's not different. He's just the best from both of you." In a society where Genetic engineering is legally practiced for human beings, wont the people lacking the finances to genitically alter their young, expose them to discrimination in the future?
The National Academy of Sciences state that the tests that would necessarily be carried out on live human subjects would be too traumatising and the results too disasterous to begin to attempt for now.
While genetic engineering may be possible for existing organisms such as our GM foods and "pharm" animals ... it will probably decades before man ever becomes genetically modified
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