Note Cards

Genetic engineering raises moral issues - Column
"It didn't get as much attention as allegations about President Clinton's sex life, but, to my mind, this is the most important scientific breakthrough since the landing of a man on the moon or dropping of the atomic bomb," says Dr. Leroy Hood about the computerized human chromosome
Is the future of genetic research, then, to be jeered more than cheered? Not quite. It holds terrific possibilities for the elimination of diseases and improvement of life. But it also calls for a cautious skepticism regarding the changes we unleash on generations to come.
Eugenics was a popular field of study on American campuses at the turn of the century. It fell out of favor after it was embraced in a genocidal way by Nazi Germany.



Genetic Engineering Description from WHO
In the year 2001, the estimated
global areas of commercially
grown transgenic or GM crops was
52.6 million hectares or 13.0
million acres. The principal GM
crops were GM soybean
occupying 63% of global
transgenic area, followed by GM
corn (19%), transgenic cotton
(13%) and GM canola (5%).
The three major traits in
commercial GM crops are: Insect resistance, Virus resistance, Herbicide tolerance
GM products currently being developed
include fruits, vegetables and cereals. It is
reported that other future potential
applications of genetic modification could
result in crops with increased nutrient levels,
reduced reliability on chemicals – herbicide
tolerant and disease and pest resistant plants,
fish species with enhanced growth
characteristics and plants or animals
producing pharmaceutically important
proteins such as vaccines.
biggest challenges to the
development and application of food
biotechnology will be establishing a dialogue
with the public to minimize unwarranted fears
Several GMO foods are already on the market.


Benefits of Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering is defined as a set of technologies that are used to change the genetic makeup of cells and move the genes from one species to another to produce new organisms
In humans, the most promising benefit of genetic engineering is gene therapy which is the medical treatment of a disease wherein the defective genes are repaired and replaced or therapeutic genes are introduced to fight the disease. Eventually, the hope is to completely eliminate genetic diseases and also treat non-genetic diseases with appropriate gene therapy
The field of agriculture too greatly benefits from genetic engineering which has improved the genetic fitness of various plant species. The common benefits are increase in the efficiency of photosynthesis, increasing the resistance of the plant to salinity, drought and viruses and also reducing the plant’s need for a nitrogen fertilizer
Genetic engineering helps in the process of bioremediation which is the process of cleaning up waste and pollution with the help of living organisms.
Genetic engineering has helped lower the overall usage of herbicide and pesticide.
Genetic engineering has helped with the production of vaccines and other drugs in plants.



http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8179.pdf
Although many countries have entirely new laws to regulate GE, the US adapted old legislature for new technology.
Only food plants need to go through evaluation from the FDA, USDA, and EPA. This could be bad because genetically mutated genes could be passed on still(but this goes against my argument)
Numerous field trials must be performed to be sure that the plant is not harmful to the environment. This is a USDA rule.
FDA is voluntary but all GE plants have gone through it. EPA is concerned w/ pesticides that need to be used (or don’t need to be used) for the GMO.
All plants, GMO or not, must meet DUS standards. D-genetically distinct from other plants. U- Uniform appearance in the field. S-genetically stable over many generations.
Benefits could be greater, but a large reason for why more crops aren’t GMO’s is that there is a lengthy and expensive regulatory process required of biotech crops prior to their release. For this reason, only large scale, profitable crops are modified and sold.


GENETIC ENGINEERING (FDA Consumer Reprint)
FDA expected only 100 to 150 genetically engineered foods to be introduced over the next five years. Early in 1997, 18 of these foods had been cleared by FDA, as well as by, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S.Department of Agriculture.





Ifgene: Pros & Cons of Genetic Engineering
This new technology will have more benefits for human existence than all the past technologies put together.
Ever since agriculture and the domestication of animals and plants began man has been modifying their genetic make-up by selective breeding. Ever since man began to ferment fruit and milk products thousands of years ago, he has been using biotechnology.
Mules (horse x donkey) have long since existed, but nobody is complaining. And the technique of grafting different plants/trees onto each other is ancient.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:26)"Human beings are themselves part of nature, creatures within creation. Human discovery and invention can be thought of as resulting from the exercise of God-given powers of mind and reason." (Church of England Board)
Reduces labour costs. Environmentally relatively benign herbicides are used and less of them
Helps solve the problem of world hunger by creating varieties which will make more efficient utilisation of scarce land and give higher yields because of better pest resistance, nutrient utilisation etc

WORD WOULD NOT IMPORT MY TABLE, SO THESE CARDS ARE RATHER ROUGH LOOKING