Task: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of genetic engineering with specific reference to
Uploaded by lathikab on Jan 16, 2004
GENERAL STUDIES
Task: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of genetic engineering with specific reference to Gattaca?
Gattaca, a film, takes place in the near future, in a time when genetic engineering technology is used is used to create a perfect society. Gatttaca’s main character, Vincent, is genetically inferior; he was conceived by natural birth, rather than genetically engineered, which means that throughout his life is guaranteed discrimination. Vincent has dreams of becoming a scientist at Gattaca, but being of natural birth, he has almost no chance of ever working there.
During the later stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our live eventually, because there are so many possibilities advantages and disadvantages involved. Here are some of the advantages:
Diseases could be prevented by detected by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. In addition, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antivirus proteins specific to each antigen.
Animals and plants can be “tailor made” to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the treat of global warming.
Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles, which could also be crosses over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.
Of course, there are two sides to the coin; here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages:
Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.
Genetic Engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the law and course of nature.
Genetic Engineering may be one of the greatest breakthrough in recent history alongside the discovery of the atom and space fight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, government have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental “breakthroughs” made possible by genetic engineering.
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