Genes shape who we are as individuals, and as a species. Genes have profound effects on health. Alterations in the DNA sequence, cause mutations that are irreversible. A new technology, Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, short for CRISPR is the solution to genetic diseases. Crispr consists of two components, a guide RNA and an enzyme called, Cas9. The repeats are short segments of DNA, and are palindrome, sequence of letters that read the same left to right. The repeats are identical and are interspaced, between the spaces there is spacer DNA. Scientist Yoshizumi Ishino discovered that each segment of spacer DNA is unique and is not identical (Zimmer, 2015). Evolutionary biologist, Eugene Koonin observed that the spacer
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The gene that is desired can be added to the DNA and the new RNA can pair up with the cut ends, recombining and replacing original sequence with the new version. Scientists are pursuing CRISPR, because it is the fastest, and cheapest way of genetic engineering. In the past, scientists would use chemicals or radiations to cause mutations, and there was no way of controlling where in the genome the mutation would occur. Gene targeting took a long time to create a mutation and was expensive (yourgenome, 2016). CRISPR is very powerful and it is possible to get rid of malignant diseases, and achieve desirable traits such as, perfect eyesight, increase in height, no hair loss, and other human desires. Genetically modified humans would be able to cope with high intake of fast food, and be immune to diseases such as obesity, and high cholesterol. Modified humans will alter the human genome as their engineered genes would be passed onto their children and would spread over generations changing the human genome forever. Editing genes in germline cells raises ethical concerns and thus editing human embryo’s is currently illegal in the UK and most other countries (yourgenome, 2016).The US does not allow the use of federal funds to modify human embryos, but there are no bans on genome editing. In countries like Germany, there are strict laws on the use of embryos in assisted reproduction, and limits research on human embryos, any sort of violation results in criminal charges (Ledford, 2015). As humans fear there will be discrimination between humans from genetic modification is already happening. Take down syndrome, a common genetic defect results in the termination of the pregnancy. In Europe, 92% of pregnancies where this defect is detected the pregnancy is terminated (Mansfield, 1999). There is already a world in which humans choose what is right and wrong. CRISPR is very powerful but it is not perfect as
The gene that is desired can be added to the DNA and the new RNA can pair up with the cut ends, recombining and replacing original sequence with the new version. Scientists are pursuing CRISPR, because it is the fastest, and cheapest way of genetic engineering. In the past, scientists would use chemicals or radiations to cause mutations, and there was no way of controlling where in the genome the mutation would occur. Gene targeting took a long time to create a mutation and was expensive (yourgenome, 2016). CRISPR is very powerful and it is possible to get rid of malignant diseases, and achieve desirable traits such as, perfect eyesight, increase in height, no hair loss, and other human desires. Genetically modified humans would be able to cope with high intake of fast food, and be immune to diseases such as obesity, and high cholesterol. Modified humans will alter the human genome as their engineered genes would be passed onto their children and would spread over generations changing the human genome forever. Editing genes in germline cells raises ethical concerns and thus editing human embryo’s is currently illegal in the UK and most other countries (yourgenome, 2016).The US does not allow the use of federal funds to modify human embryos, but there are no bans on genome editing. In countries like Germany, there are strict laws on the use of embryos in assisted reproduction, and limits research on human embryos, any sort of violation results in criminal charges (Ledford, 2015). As humans fear there will be discrimination between humans from genetic modification is already happening. Take down syndrome, a common genetic defect results in the termination of the pregnancy. In Europe, 92% of pregnancies where this defect is detected the pregnancy is terminated (Mansfield, 1999). There is already a world in which humans choose what is right and wrong. CRISPR is very powerful but it is not perfect as