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To: Marc Aubertin
From: Bradley Grasl
Date: November 7, 2011
RE: Illumin Article
Genetic Engineering: Altering Life as We Know It
Changing the DNA makeup of an organism sounds like something out of a
science fiction movie, however in today’s world, many of the products that we use are
effected by genetic engineering. Genetic engineering, also known as bioengineering is a
term that refers to any alteration of an organism’s genes in order to make them produce a
new substances, perform new functions, or to alter is current functions. Many people are
opposed to genetic engineering in terms of the way it could effect human reproduction,
but those same people don’t have a problem with buying cheaper milk from the store that
came from cattle that had been genetically altered to produce more milk. Like it or not,
genetic engineering greatly effects the live of everyone.
The first time genetic engineering was used dates back to 1865, when an Austrian
monk by the name of Gregor Mendel changed the genetic construction of sweet pea
plants. Over the next century people continued to experiment, albeit primitively, with the
genetics of plants and other small-sized organisms. Research, because of the lack of
general technology and limited knowledge about the make-up of genes in general, was
greatly limited.
In the middle of the 20th century a great step was taken in understanding genetics
and thus being able to continue deeper into the process of genetic engineering. In 1953,
M. Wilkins, F. Crick, and J. Watson, all of which worked at the University of Cambridge
in England, discovered DNA’s double helix model. In 1962, they were awarded the nobel
prize for their discovery. In 1968, scientists by the names of Nirenberg, Khorana, and
Holley received the nobel prize for their interpretation of the genetic code and its
essential function in protein synthesis.
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In 1970, great steps were taken by cloning, creating an artificial copy of an
embryo, a frog. Soon many scientists began cloning organisms and because of this
patents were put on the new organisms. In 1984, Steen Willadsen cloned the first sheep,
from an embryo. Steen, one year later, started mass-producing cattle embryos in an effort
to create a more perfect stock, one that grew larger and thus had more meat that could be
used. His efforts were unfortunately in vane, and finally stopped because of the cloned
cattle’s high death rates and abnormal behavior. Human embryos were first cloned in
1993 and four years later Dolly, the first sheep ever cloned from an adult cell, was
unleashed upon the world. This was especially important because it made the idea of
asexual reproduction, production of an organism without using male and female
reproduction cells, possible.
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The next goal on the list of genetic engineering scientists was to explore the
genetics of human beings further. As a result, the U.S. Department of Energy launched
the human genome project. The goal was the map out the entire human genome in hope
that they could identify and eliminate disease-causing genes. In June 2000, Bill Clinton
announced the completion of the human genome project.
Genetic engineering has made it’s way into many parts of our life. Agriculture has
seen what many experts are calling a “Green Revolution”. This is to say that because of
genetic engineering, agricultural life has been greatly increased for the better. Herbicideresistant plants, plants that have the inherited ability of a plant to survive and reproduce
following exposure to a dose of herbicide, a chemical used to kill weeds, that would
normally be lethal, and other plants were engineered to have the ability to convert
nitrogen straight from the soil. As a result of genetic engineering, approximately 50,000
rice genes have been discovered. Scientists are diligently working on ways to gentitcally
alter rice, which is the main food of the world's population because of it cheapness, ease
of growth, and availability, so that it will be more nutritious and resistant. This could
greatly effect impoverished parts of the world because some people in these regions have
no money to buy wholesome food, so if it were possible to make rice more wholesome,
nutritious and filling than the world would be greatly effected. Insects are being
engineered to attack predators that could jeopardize a crop.
Though the advantages of genetic engineering are great, we as users of products
altered by genetic engineering must be critical and careful because there are some
drawbacks of genetic engineering as well that people must be aware of. These drawbacks
include increased toxins and diseases in the altered plants and animals. As a result of the
genetic engineering, the same engineering that was used to make these organisms more
resistant to predators, the organisms are becoming more resistant to antibiotics as well.
Increased toxins in plants were designed to make insect-resistant plants. A nuclear
physicist name Dr. John Hagerlin testified in Washington, DC, at a Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) public hearing that “increased toxins can trigger unanticipated
allergic reactions. The resulting gene pollution threatens the environment, for it breaks
down genetic barriers put in place by Nature.” In other words, genetic engineering can
greatly help us, but we must be careful to observe what makes the plant thrive on it’s own
in nature and do our best to preserve those qualities or we could jeopardize the quality
and usefulness of the plant.
Some glaring examples of how genetic engineering can go radically wrong can be
seen in the following. Industry is always trying to push the limits of what can be done
with food, however there is a definite limit before things can go very wrong. The
“Tryptophan food supplement”, an amino acid that was marketed as a natural tranquilizer
and sleeping pill, was mass-produced from bacteria that had been genetically altered. The
supplement ended up killing 37 people and permanently disabling over 1,500 others
when they developed an incurable nervous system condition known as eosinophilia
myalgia syndrome (EMS). When genetic engineering was first used on livestock, farmers
were very excited and pleased that the altered cattle not only produced more milk, but
they grew faster and yielded more meat. However after further examination, many cases
of mutation and significant overgrowth caused genetic scientists to reevaluate the
effectiveness altering the animals as such.
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More ethical questions arise when genetic engineering comes to the topic of
human genetic engineering. We have seen many genetic scientists want to use human
genes in animals, however at what point does an animal with human genes become a
human? Is it ok for gorilla to be genetically altered so that it can produce human sperm
and thus give it the ability to conceive a child? Would it be ok to create a cow that
contained human genes that gave it the ability to grow human organs so that those organs
could then be taken out and used in humans? These are all questions that arise when we
explore the boundaries, or at least the current boundaries of genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering technology also has been applied directly to the human body.
After the human genome project was completed in June 2000, and the entire human
genome was completely mapped, scientists soon discovered some disease-causing genes.
They are now try to find a way isolate those genes and develop treatments that would
specifically work to fix the errors in the DNA then cause disease. The curing of
Alzheimers, muscular dystrophy, and many other inherited diseases would make the
world a different place, and many patients very happy, unexpected results could occur.
Each gene in the body reacts to every other gene in the body, so if one gene were altered
it could have a drastic effect, and potentially harmful effects on that person. Once again,
genetic engineering could solve a major problem, but as a result bring about several
others.
Genetic engineering, or genetic alteration in human beings brings about the
possibility of designer genes that manipulate a child's appearance, IQ, or behavior.
According to a March of Dimes survey, 40 percent of Americans would use gene therapy
to enhance their children's looks or intelligence. This means that having an effect on your
child gender simply comes down to a matter of money. A Virginia-based genetics and invitro fertilization institute offers family balancing, the process by which you can choice
your childs gender, for approximately $3,000. Known as microsort, the male sperm is
separated from the female one and thus the ability to choose your childs gender is
possible. In 2001, the institute treated around 60 couples a month and planned to double
its production. Genetic engineering also brings into play such ideas as being able to
genetically alter a woman so that her breast milk contains certain nutrients that would
make a child grow better than a child that drank normal breast milk.
Genetic engineering will continue to revolutionize the world as we know it. We
as consumers though need to be aware of the upsides and the downsides though because
they are serious consequences that could result if we simply believe everything we are
told. Our groceries might be cheaper, but saving a few dollars is definitely not worth
spending the rest of one’s life as a paraplegic. When taken with a grain of salt, carefully
thought about, studied and researched though, genetic engineering will assuredly change
and benefit the world for the better.
Works Cited
Brad Grasl
A. Kim, “A Hundred Bad Dreams,” July 2011
http://riotsqurrrl.tumblr.com/post/7273940078/15-years-ago-today-dolly-the-sheepbecame-the
DNA Replication.info, “DNA Doubt Helix,” 2006-2011
http://www.dnareplication.info/dnadoublehelix.php
H. Erkin, “Genetic Engineering’s impact on our lives” October-Decemeber 2002. Issue
40
http://www.fountainmagazine.com/article.php?ARTICLEID=83
J. McPhersson, “Effects of Genetic Engineering,” 8-24-2008
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/genetic-engineering.shtml
J. Under, “Monstrous Myostatin Misfortunes-A collection of Myostatin Deficiency
Pictures,” July 2007
http://www.who-sucks.com/people/monstrous-myostatin-misfortunes-a-collection-ofmyostatin-deficiency-pictures