StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Biology: Genetic Engineering - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Name: Genetic Engineering 1997 will be remembered as a memorable year in the field of genetic engineering. In the month of February researchers in Edinburgh, Scotland achieved a milestone that shocked the whole world. They announced that a young female ewe, Dolly, was born the previous July…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.6% of users find it useful
Biology: Genetic Engineering
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Biology: Genetic Engineering"

Download file to see previous pages

Genetic engineering has made many great strides since the successful cloning of Dolly and since that experiment people’s interest in this technology has increased. This paper aims to define what genetic engineering is? why it can be good? and why it can be bad? The above example is just one of the various aspects of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is the technique of manipulating an organism’s genetic makeup by transferring genes of one organism into another organism to produce an organism that is either transgenic or cisgenic.

A transgenic organism will be produced if a foreign gene (from different specie) is introduced into the host organism’s genetic structure. A transgenic organism will, as a result, have a new trait which would not be common to other organisms that haven’t undergone the transgenesis process. A cisgenic organism on the other hand is produced when genome of the same or related specie is passed onto the host organism. Cisgenesis or intragenesis is common among organisms that can be bred naturally.

Nowadays genetic engineering is common in a diverse range of fields such as medicine, agriculture, research and various industries. Genetic engineering should not be confused with mating. During mating, the chromosomes that contain the mother’s genes are combined with chromosomes that contain the father’s genes. The DNA blueprint in the chromosomes remains unchanged. The chromosomes are stable and the mating process that is evolving from millions of years produces reliable and stable results.

However in the genetic engineering process foreign genes from a completely different organism are transferred in a haphazard manner in the genome of another organism. Unlike the mating process however, this transfer disrupts the DNA blueprint of the host organism. The disruption if not controlled, may lead to unpredictable and at times disastrous results. There are a myriad of pros of genetic engineering. Due to the diverse range of fields that use the genetic engineering techniques, numerous advancements have been made in these fields, with the help of this technology that benefit the society at large.

For example in the agricultural sector genetic engineering is done on crops such as potatoes, rice and maize. The genetic engineering of these crops helps in producing: 1. More crop yield 2. Healthy food 3. Crops that grow in and withstand the harsh weather 4. Crops that are highly resistive to pest attacks (thus eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides to a bare minimal level) 5. Crops with all the unwanted characteristics removed 6. Crops that have a longer life As genetic engineering is all about manipulating or modifying the genes, hence it is used to cure many fatal illnesses by either altering or replacing the faulty gene with a working one.

There have been some breakthroughs in gene treatment with successful application of genetic engineering in X-SCID and impairment of vision among others (Arnold). Some other examples of genetic engineering that are beneficial to the society include: 1. Inserting a gene from the tail of scorpion (that makes the poison) into a cabbage’s gene. This genetic mutation allows cabbages to combat and resist attack from caterpillars as they can produce the same poison (a form of

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Biology: Genetic Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/biology/1436458-genetic-engineering
(Biology: Genetic Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/biology/1436458-genetic-engineering.
“Biology: Genetic Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/biology/1436458-genetic-engineering.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Biology: Genetic Engineering

What Is Agricultural Biotechnology

Since Biotechnology is a generic term used to describe practical uses of living organisms hence it combines a wide range of biological disciplines like genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology and cell biology which are in turn linked to practical disciplines like genetic engineering, chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, bio-process engineering, biosystem engineering and even information technology and robotics.... Although each of above mentioned practical discipline of biotechnology has its importance and application yet genetic engineering, is considered to be an area of tremendous interest and importance....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Biochemistry and Enzyme Technology

This paper ''Biochemistry'' tells that In recent years the understanding of the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory control mechanisms used by microorganisms for the production of several metabolites has been increased by developing the knowledge of the biochemistry of industrially important organisms....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Nucleic acid hybridisation and Nucleic acid probes

The unique property of nucleic acids to pair with each other through complementary base pairing is the lifeblood of genetic engineering.... It is possible to exploit this mechanism for the detection of one nucleic acid strand from a mixture The Utility of Nucleic Acid Hybridisation and Nucleic Acid Probes in Molecular Biology by Your DateThe Utility of Nucleic Acid Hybridisation and Nucleic Acid Probes In Molecular BiologyThe unique property of nucleic acids to pair with each other through complementary base pairing is the lifeblood of genetic engineering....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Ethical Beliefs on the Human Genome Project

The first section discusses how genetic engineering will impact various fields, especially the fields of medicine and biotechnology.... The section, moreover, highlights how genetic engineering has led to moral degradation of societal principles.... Because the project has triggered various ethical issues, the fourth objective is to address ethical issues surrounding genetic engineering.... This paper, thus, explore more about future effects of genetic engineering or genetic testing....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Genetic Engineering and Conservation

This essay discusses genetic engineering and conservation.... Scientists have come up with the idea of trying to protect extinction of these animal species with the help of genetic engineering....  genetic engineering and Conservation AbstractGenetic engineering is a revolutionary technology that lets man play God....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Genetic Engineering Technology of the 21st Century

The paper 'genetic engineering Technology of the 21st Century' focuses on a wider range and history of procedures for modifying biological organisms according to the needs of humanity, going back to the initial modifications of native plants into improved food crops.... hellip; Genes code for a lot of proteins in our bodies....
7 Pages (1750 words) Case Study

Applications in Gene Selection and Cloning

Other subsequent studies were able to show why only certain sequences were able to insert properly into host DNA and were done through the use of enzymes identifying certain sites within the DNA where cuts can be made for the insertion of genetic material, later called restriction sites.... hellip; One of the most well-known and controversial uses of information from genetics and molecular biology is recombinant DNA technology....
11 Pages (2750 words) Report

The Evolution of Ape and Man

The movie 'Jurassic Park' is just a good example of conveying the message to the public that contemporary archaeologists, paleontologists and genetic engineers, among others to this day are still hungry for concrete evidence related to man's evolution.... The 'Origin of Species' and 'Descent of Man' published in 1859 and 1871, respectively, startling as it may, Darwin's advocacy made a 360 degrees turnabout in the course of what scientific thinking and Modern biology ought to be....
9 Pages (2250 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us