The Future of Genetics

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. Currently,​there is a worldwide issue concerning whether or not modifying genes is ethical. This controversy interests me because technology has advanced so much since this practice was discovered. Scientists now have the ability to use viruses to enter cells in the body and modify the cells. There are more complex ways to complete the process, but this is the easiest way.. ​These advancements create endless possibilities that can come from genetic modification. These can range from glow in the dark cats all the way to creating a “super human.”​Also, genetic engineering comes with many benefits. These can include such things as eliminating all diseases, ​inserting the most successful genes into plantations to produce the maximum number of healthy crops better tasting foods, faster growing crops, and more nutritious food.

However, there are many ways scientists can use genetic engineering in negative ways. ​According to humangenetic.org, “A lot of scientists have a view that the introduction of genes that have been modified genetically can have effects that can never be removed or reversed.” This implies that if something were to go wrong in the process of exchanging genes, then the result would be permanent. An example of this would be if someone were to change a gene on a human, let's say it was one for better hair, the genes may not transfer correctly and the hair follicles could either completely die, or grow outrageously and you could look like a caveman. We briefly covered this topic in AP Biology last year. ​I watched the movie Gattaca ​that was completely based on genetic engineering. It is about a guy whose parents chose not to do any GE on him, and he was diagnosed with a disease. He wasn’t expected to live past 30. His Wakefield 3 dream that he wanted to complete before he died was to travel to space, but without GE done on him, his chances weren't likely. Luckily, a man who was dieing gave him his identity and his job, and above all odds, he makes it into space.. ​We also read an article in class where we took the good and the bad out of each article. I latched on to the topic and became fascinated by the endless possibilities that can come from genetic engineering. I don't have a vast amount of knowledge about genetic engineering yet, but I do know that it is an intensely debated subject and that there are huge advancement opportunities that can come from it. I don’t know for sure yet, but I suspect that as technology advances, the practice of genetic engineering will begin with small experiments and over time expand from there. In 1973, genetic engineering as the direct transfer of DNA from one organism to another was first accomplished by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen. They wouldn't, however, necessarily be the first stakeholders. The first known person to create a basis of genetic engineering was Charles Darwin. He published the first edition of The Origin of the Species, which gives extensive information on the breeding of birds from the galapagos islands in 1859. It stated how the birds chose their mates and selectively wanted better genes for their offspring, and also covered evolution. If not Darwin, then the other person to create a basis on genetic engineering would be Gregor Mendel. He created an interesting hypothesis and discovered selective breeding of peas, which became the basis of modern genetics in 1865.