The Ethics of Genetic Engineering (rough draft)
With the rapid expansion of science over the past century, mankind is able to perform tasks thought of thousands of years ago as the work of the supernatural. One such ability is the ability to change the very foundation of an organism, the fiber of our being, DNA. The ability to change the very core of what makes us who we are is an immense power, and no doubt a center for controversy. In this essay, I will cover the ethics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)s and the effects they have on our world. A great benefit of genetically modified foods is longer shelf life. Organisms can be changed to delay the rotting process, allowing for a greater slot of time for it to be used. In fact, the first widely-available GMO was the Flavr …show more content…
When a gene from a foreign organism is inserted into another, the genetic material inserted may cause the unintended production of other enzymes or proteins along with the protein that scientists want to be produced. This means that someone with an allergy to a specific food eats another food with genes from the first inserted into it. The consumed food may trigger an allergic reaction in the person due to the enzymes and proteins that are found in the allergy-inducing food being present. This may also cause a rise in the creation of food allergies due to consistent exposure to products of an organism that are not naturally present in another. Say someone with a peanut allergy eats a genetically modified apple with peanut genes inserted into it. The person would not normally have a reaction, but now certain proteins and enzymes from the peanut, which the consumer is allergic to, are present and cause an allergic reaction in the person. This is bad in itself, but now that person could develop allergies to apples per say, because their body associates molecules in all apples with the allergen in
With the rapid expansion of science over the past century, mankind is able to perform tasks thought of thousands of years ago as the work of the supernatural. One such ability is the ability to change the very foundation of an organism, the fiber of our being, DNA. The ability to change the very core of what makes us who we are is an immense power, and no doubt a center for controversy. In this essay, I will cover the ethics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)s and the effects they have on our world. A great benefit of genetically modified foods is longer shelf life. Organisms can be changed to delay the rotting process, allowing for a greater slot of time for it to be used. In fact, the first widely-available GMO was the Flavr …show more content…
When a gene from a foreign organism is inserted into another, the genetic material inserted may cause the unintended production of other enzymes or proteins along with the protein that scientists want to be produced. This means that someone with an allergy to a specific food eats another food with genes from the first inserted into it. The consumed food may trigger an allergic reaction in the person due to the enzymes and proteins that are found in the allergy-inducing food being present. This may also cause a rise in the creation of food allergies due to consistent exposure to products of an organism that are not naturally present in another. Say someone with a peanut allergy eats a genetically modified apple with peanut genes inserted into it. The person would not normally have a reaction, but now certain proteins and enzymes from the peanut, which the consumer is allergic to, are present and cause an allergic reaction in the person. This is bad in itself, but now that person could develop allergies to apples per say, because their body associates molecules in all apples with the allergen in