Genetic Engineering Advantages & Disadvantages

Through genetic engineering, scientists are able to move desirable genes from one plant or animal to another or from a plant to an animal or vice versa. (Ref. 1) By desirable, it means it can produce an outcome that is regarded as generally “beneficial” or “useful”. The organism that has undergone such genetic modification is referred to as “genetically modified organism” or GMO. In essence, genetic engineering is a technology wherein a specific gene can be selected and implanted into the recipient organism. The cell that received such an implant can, therefore, begin producing substances with the desired functions. Genetic engineering uses recombinant DNA, molecular cloning, and transformation.

Genetic engineering has become a mainstream part of our lives because of the many advantages involved. Here are some of them:

Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight. However, there are plausible risks involved. Thus, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering.

Despite the strict regulation, genetic engineering progressed. It has led to many experimental breakthroughs over the years.

These procedures are essentially a form of “therapeutic cloning”. Embryonic cells can now be cloned. They are grown for health purposes, such as to obtain biological organs for transplantation. Cells are also cloned in the laboratory for research purposes. (Ref. 1) How about humans? Can a human individual be cloned? At this point in time, cloning a human individual is not possible. What can be cloned is the genotype but not the phenotype. (Ref. 4)

Genetic engineering has been made possible with the discovery of the complex and microscopic nature of DNA and its component nucleotides. For us to understand chromosomes and DNA more clearly, they can be mapped for future reference. More simplistic organisms such as fruit fly (Drosophila) have been chromosome-mapped due to their simplistic nature. They will require fewer genes to operate.

The process of genetic engineering involves splicing an area of a chromosome, a gene, that controls a certain characteristic of the body. The enzyme endonuclease is used to split a DNA sequence as well as split the gene from the rest of the chromosome. For example, this gene may be programmed to produce an antiviral protein. This gene is removed and can be placed into another organism. For example, it can be placed into a bacterial cell where it can be sealed into the DNA chain using ligase. When the chromosome is once again sealed the bacterial cell is now effectively re-programmed to replicate this new antiviral protein. The bacterium can continue to live a healthy life while genetic engineering by human intervention has manipulated it to produce the protein.