Genetic Engineering
Genetic Engineering From asteroid-bound space probes to the astrological wonder that is Complex-H, many cutting-edge technologies have been brought to light throughout the eight-week scientific journey of this course. ... New areas of scientific discovery have always ignited my intellectual curiosity, and the recent attention and intense research focused on the area of genetic engineering has me particularly engulfed in its boundless sea of possibility. ... Science has allowed for the rapid development of humankind in such areas as technological production, transportation, and even entertainment, but no scientific discovery has ever contained the revolutionary, or, more over, the evolutionary potential that genetic engineering does. Genetic engineering is a safe yet incredibly powerful tool that will undoubtedly yield amazingly unprecedented results, specifically in the world of disease and medicine. ... By understanding the scientific history behind genetic engineering, discovering its endless possibilities, and answering the moral and safety dilemmas it brings forth, the blanket of ignorant uncertainty covering this remarkable scientific miracle can be lifted. The first step to understanding genetic engineering and embracing its boundless possibilities for society is to obtain a thorough knowledge base of both its history and its methods. ... These early studies yielded what is now considered the most basic fundamental knowledge of heredity: every being has two sets of character determinants, or genes (“Genetic…” 1). ... "The new science of genetic engineering aims to take a dramatic short cut in the slow process of evolution" (Stableford 25). Genetic engineering is the process of changing the genes in a living cell. In essence, the goal of the science that is genetic engineering is to remove one gene from an organism’s DNA and place it into the DNA of another organism, thus creating a new DNA strand with a new full set of encoded genetic instructions (recitation notes). ... The medical implications and possibilities of genetic engineering are entirely endless. ... All of these discoveries, however, could pale greatly in importance when compared to medical implications that fall under the broad wing of genetic engineering. Millions upon millions of people in this world today suffer from a variety of genetic diseases ranging from a multitude of cancers to blood, liver, and lung disorders. As absolutely miraculous as it may be, all of these ailments could be potentially cured by the science of genetic engineering, specifically through gene therapy. The basis of thought behind gene therapy is to supply a functional gene to cells lacking that particular function, thus correcting the genetic disorder or disease (“American…” 1). ... Somatic gene therapy is “genetic engineering that targets the genes in specific organs and tissues of the body of a single existing person without affecting genes in their eggs or sperm” (“American…” 1).