Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering

Disease and illnesses are rapidly growing in our community and do not plan to stop any day soon. Before we know it, we are going to have more people in hospitals than outside in the environment enjoying life. We don't have to think about ourselves now; we also have to take into consideration our family and our children's future. Do we want them to live in a world full of sickness and plague? Having that in mind, we have the tools and resources to help us establish a better life within ourselves and our community. Genetic Engineering research should be legalized to help out our society fight for a better future through Reproductive cloning, Therapeutic cloning and Genetic modification of foods.

Reproductive cloning a technology used to create an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal (Fischer 52). Scientist could use this method for creating the ideal animal, like for example the perfect cow. Scientist could perfect the way the milk comes out of the cow. First a cow is milked and then the milk is stored in a large container which is then cooled to 38 degrees. A truck comes to pick up the milk daily and takes it to the processing plant. Next, the milk is sent to the pasteurizer. In this step, the butter fat is broken up and mixed into the rest of the milk. Pasteurization is quickly heating the milk to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills any bacteria that are in the milk (Milk). Instead of doing this whole process which takes a lot of time and money scientist could end this technique forever. They could extract the DNA from best cow in the world and alter it so it can produce super milk that does not have to go through the pasteurization process. The milk would have antibiotics so it can kill all the bacteria formed and would be enriched with extra vitamins for healthier and stronger bones. After it would be pumped out of the cow, the milk would go straight to a tank to be cooled and ready for it to be put in cartons for distribution. Thousands of endangered species die each year due to forest fires and nature catastrophes. The kola used to be an animal that was very abundant in Australia (Lunney 567).Due to forest fires this animal has been classified as an endangered species. Scientist could use reproductive cloning to clone the kola and make it abundant again. Well, not just the kola in Australia but scientist could make endangered species part of the past and live in a world were no animal would have to die ever again.

Therapeutic cloning is the production of human embryos for use in research. The goal of this process is not to create cloned human beings, but rather to collect stem cells that can be used to study human development and to treat disease. Stem cells are cells that can develop into many different types of tissue, such as bone, muscle or brain which can grow into replacements for almost any part of your body (Pooley 36). A doctor could use this method to save thousands of life each year. For example, a 50 year old man has a heart attack and damages part of it. Now the heart is not going to function well for the rest of his life. Due to the heart attack, the valves that open and close in the heart which let blood flow are damaged. In order for the valves to do their normal function and keep the old man alive, the doctor is gong to have to place mechanical devices to open and close the valves. At any moment the devices could malfunction and not work properly. The doctor could end all this pain and misery by telling the patient that he has another option. An option that would make him life long and give him the heart he had 20 years ago, new and healthy. The doctor could use the patient's stem cells to grow him a new heart and then just transplant it. The doctor has now found the way to become immortal and gives a new perception on how we view medicine for years to come.

GM, genetic modification, is a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of living organisms such as animals, and plants. Farmers could use this technique to make the ultimate crop. In 2003, about 167 million acres were grown by 7 million farmers in 18 countries. They planted herbicide and insecticide resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. There was other crops grown that the farmers planted which were a sweet potato resistant to a virus that could demolish most of the African harvest. The farmers also planted rice with increased iron and vitamins that may improve malnutrition in foreign countries, and a variety of plants able to survive weather extremes (). Farmers have the entire tool they need to end world hunger. All they need to do is make crop ten time healthier and make it have ten time more protein so that one piece