Genetic Manipulation
Genes, being part of the basic building blocks of man, control all aspects of one's life.
They control how tall you are, what color your eyes are, and what diseases might afflict you in the
future. Therefore, the manipulation of such genes can be a controversial topic. The controversy
most likely stems from the ethical and social questions that are raised by this procedure. Jean
Dausset, author of "Scientific Knowledge and Human Dignity," and George B. Kutukdjian,
author of "UNESCO and Bioethics," both discuss the topic of genetic manipulation. Their main
focus concerns the applications of genetic manipulation, the limitations and equal opportunities of
genetic manipulation, and how a person's confidential information would be regulated. To
understand this basics of genetic manipulation, one must first have a little background knowledge.
"Genetics is the branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of
the hereditary transmission and variation of inherited characteristics. Genes are the hereditary
units of chromosomes that are located inside the DNA, which determine certain characteristics
of an organism" (Encarta). The scientific alteration of the structure of genetic material in a
living organism is called genetic engineering. Gene therapy is the insertion of a gene or genes
into cells in order to provide a new set of instructions to those cells (Encarta). Gene therapy is
actually a form of gene manipulation in itself because one is trying to control, or manipulate, the
structure of a gene. Gene therapy is used to correct a person's genetic predisposition. Genetic
predisposition is the identification of what diseases a person might be afflicted with in the future
and how or from what a person will die (Dausset 451). The application of genetic manipulation
can be seen in two areas: genetic testing and predictive medicine.
Genetic testing can be separated into two categories. The first should be to look for
characteristics of genetic diseases which are hereditary. The second is used to show a person's
"predisposition to certain diseases" (Kutukdjian 453). It is in genetic testing that the concept of
gene therapy can play a role. The somatic type of gene therapy is considered to be an ethical
one. Its main concern is focused toward the cells of the body (Dausset 450). On the other
hand, the germ-line type is concerned with the reproductive cells or the embryos themselves,
Advantages of genetic testing may be helpful in determining whether or not you have a disease or are proba...
Gene therapy is the application of the technique where the defect-causing "bad" genes are replaced by correct "good" genes. The idea of gene therapy is to treat the disease by correcting the "bad" DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) rather than the current me thod of providing drugs, or proteins not produced by the defective gene. Gene therapy addresses the problem first hand by directly working with the genetic information causing the disease. From the book Shaping Genes, Dr. Darryl Macer says "It is like f ixing a hole in the bucket, rather than trying to mop up the leaking water." There are two kinds of gene therapy, somatic cell gene therapy and germline gene therapy.
Genetic engineering, sometimes called genetic modification, is the process to alter the structure and nature of genes in humans, plants, and animals (what is genetic engineering). Because DNA is a code that is universal, genes can be manipulated
Gene therapy is a new approach to treating diseases by changing a person’s genes. Not only does gene therapy hope to be used to cure genetic diseases, but there are also promises of disease prevention. There are two types of gene therapy somatic and germline. Somatic gene therapy hopes to change the gene of the patient, but this change of expression in the gene will not be passed down to the next generation.
Gene therapy gives people who suffer from genetic diseases a chance to lead a normal life. Dangerous diseases, such as AIDS, SCID, Thalassemia and ADA can be cured successfully. In September 5, 2006, two people with advanced melanoma received Gene therapy and they got recovery soon. This is a breakthrough in cancer gene therapy. Gene therapy uses patients own cells to cure diseases, and, therefore, no rejection to their bodies. Furthermore, patients could get permanent cure from gene therapy without recurrence.
In this reference, an understanding of Genetic Modification was acquired. Comprehending the goals of each process and how the process is carried out allowed the ethical standpoints on this topic to be understood.
Genetic engineering refers to the technology used to alter and transport genomes and organisms, effectively shaping them to the desire or will of the geneticist. Genetic engineering can also be referred to as Genetic Modification or Genetic Manipulation (Genetics). Organisms that undergo or are created by the process of genetic engineering are referred to as Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs for short. Genetic engineering can be used to create or change entire species, such as glow in the dark organisms, and is widely used in industries such as agriculture and energy production (Genetics).
The discovery of DNA had opened up many opportunities in the field of genetics. By analysis a DNA of an individual, we are able to diagnose diseases that are hereditary at an early stage. Genetic diseases are diseases that arise from one or more abnormalities in a genotype (or genotypes) (Elston, 311). Genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia and Down syndrome could not only just be detected, but predicted from the parents. Parents could be potential carriers, although not affected by the genetic disease, but still carry the gene of the disease, and could potentially pass it down to their children (Watson, 335). Through genetic testing, we could detect flaws in our genes that may potentially be passed down to our future generations and take the necessary precautions to minimize the impact of the genetic diseases, or optimally, removing the risk of having the disease completely.
Genes are, basically, the blueprints of our body which are passed down from generation to generation. Through the exploration of these inherited materials, scientists have ventured into the recent, and rather controversial, field of genetic engineering. It is described as the "artificial modification of the genetic code of a living organism", and involves the "manipulation and alteration of inborn characteristics" by humans (Lanza). Like many other issues, genetic engineering has sparked a heated debate. Some people believe that it has the potential to become the new "miracle tool" of medicine. To others, this new technology borders on the realm of immorality, and is an omen of the danger to come, and are firmly convinced that this human intervention into nature is unethical, and will bring about the destruction of mankind (Lanza).
Gene therapy is a provisional technique that is the insertion of normal genes into the cells where there is a missing or miscoded gene to fix a genetic disorder. In the 1960s and early 1970s,
way, the implications of a genetically related disease. The long and complex process of genetic
Genetic Engineering is the deliberate alteration of an organism's genetic information (Lee 1). The outcome scientists refer to as successful entitles the living thing’s ability to produce new substances or perform new functions (Lee 1). In the early 1970’s, direct manipulation of the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) became possible and led to the rapid advancement of modern biotechnology (Lee 1).
Since it is possible to find out about our genes, pedigree and test-crossing can be used to provide one’s genetic information, such as inherited disease and disorders. For example, fish odor syndrome occurs when a person inherits two copies of a defective allele, a largely negative mutation from the original gene. In this case, these defective alleles had to come from both the father and mother; but since they both may only have one copy of defective allele, they may not actually suffer from the disease. Therefore, one can avoid these situations from arising by using pedigree and determining the likelihood of an offspring having a specific disease. On the other hand, the test-cross tool detects if the alleles given by both the mother and father are identical of different. Since a person can have either homozygous or heterozygous genotype, and chances of getting a dominant trait is not relative to whom it came from, the phenotype of offspring depends on the dominancy of the allele. Some traits that are inherited by offspring can be dominated by a single allele. Thus, there is a possibility that the offspring completely inherits its phenotype either from the mother or father, despite receiving two alleles in
Genetics determines simple things as the ultimate height of a person. “The entire genetic code of a human is determined by the unique combination of a mother’s single ovum (egg) and a father’s single sperm” (Mossler, 2011). Therefore every person on the earth is a combination of their biological parents who in turn are a combination of their biological parents and the chain goes on and on. Genes are an important foundation of how one becomes and how they will develop from childhood to adulthood.
Within every human cell, there are sets of instruction codes called “genes”. We acquired these codes from our mother and father at conception in the form of chromosomes. The combination of these two sets of chromosomes creates a unique human being. Genes control and make decisions regrading every aspect of our body like our physical features and bodily systems. Gene therapy and genetic engineering are two related experimental technologies that involve changing the genetic codes within the cells of biological organisms (University of Missouri, 2016; Lister Hill Biomedical Communications, 2017). Gene therapy is used to repair genetic malignances like diseases, while genetic engineering is used to improve the functions of selective genes beyond