Реферат: Genetic Engineering

Certainly, there should be some. Still, most of them are connected with commercial gains for genetic engineering companies. A popular claim, that farmers will benefit, is simply not true. It is just the same thing with consumers. No one is going to feed the poorest with GE products for the famine in many underdeveloped countries is simply the matter of inability to buy food , not lack of it. So today, at the present stage of development, we hardly need GE expanding on food products, needless to say about animal and human cloning. Incidentally, some daydreaming proponents of GE really believe that mankind will not be able to survive without it. According to them, we will certainly have to genetically upgrade ourselves in response to governmental activities. The humans will be able to hibernate – just like some animals – to cover long distances without aging, and, probably, will become immortal…

Still, what about the present need of GE? Where can GE particularly be used now without a threat to the humans and the environment?

So, scientists say that genetic engineering can make it possible to battle disease (cancer, in particular), disfigurement, and other maladies through a series of medical breakthroughs that will be beneficial to the human race. Moreover, cloning will be able to end the extinction of many endangered species. The main question is whether we can trust genetic engineering. The fact is that even genetically changed corn is already killing species.

The recent research showed that pollen from genetically engineered corn plants is toxic to monarch butterflies. Corn plants produce huge quantities of pollen, which dusts the leaves of plants growing near corn fields. Close to half the monarch caterpillars that fed on milkweed leaves dusted with Bt corn pollen died. Surviving caterpillars were about half the size of caterpillars that fed on leaves dusted with pollen from non-engineered corn. Something is wrong with the engineered products – they are different, so we cannot be sure about the effect they will bring about.

So, is the technology trustworthy? I suppose not.

Conclusion

So, do we need it? There are far too many disadvantages of GE and far too many unpredictable things may happen. The humans are amateurs in this area, in fact, they are just like a monkey taught to press PC buttons. We have almost no experience, the technology has not yet evolved enough. I believe, we should wait, otherwise we may give birth to a trouble, which would be impossible to resolve.

References

1. David Heaf ‘Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering’, 2000, if gene;

2. Ricarda Steinbrecher, 'From Green to Gene Revolution', The Ecologist,
Vol 26 No 6;

3. ‘Genetic Engineering Kills Monarch Butterflies’, Nature Magazine, May 19,1999;

4. ‘Who's Afraid of Genetic Engineering?’ The New York Times August 26, 1998;

5. Sara Chamberlain ‘Techno-foods’, August 19, 1999, The New Internationalist;

6. W French Anderson, 'Gene Therapy' in Scientific American, September 1995;

7. Nature Biotechnology Vol 14 May 1996;

8. Andrew Kimbrell 'Breaking the Law of Life' in Resurgence May/June 1997 Issue 182;

9. Jim Hightower ‘What’s for dinner?’, May 29, 2000.

Contents

Introduction_________________________________________________________ 1

What is genetic engineering?____________________________________________ 1

Techniques_________________________________________________________ 1

The history of GE_____________________________________________________ 2

Selective breeding and genetic engineering_______________________________ 3

What are the dangers?_________________________________________________ 3

Fundamental Weaknesses of the Concept________________________________ 3

Health Hazards_____________________________________________________ 4

Potential Environmental Harms________________________________________ 6

Any pros?___________________________________________________________ 8

Conclusion__________________________________________________________ 9