Wouldn't it be great to improve health care, improve agriculture, and improve our quality of life? Genetic engineering is already accomplishing those things, and has the potential to accomplish much more.
Genetic engineering, also referred to as biotechnology, is a fairly new science where the genes of an organism are modified to change the features of an organism or group of organisms. Genes are found in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of an organism, and each gene controls a specific trait of an organism. Scientists have discovered what many of these genes control, both in plants and animals. Scientists then can modify these genes to benefit the organism. For example, if a person has a gene that codes for a certain disease, scientists can insert healthy copies of that gene to heal the patient. Genetic engineering is the hottest new field in medical research (Elmer-Dewitt). Although there have been some questions about whether genetic engineering is ethical or safe, there are too many benefits to ignore it.
Of the many uses of genetic engineering, agricultural use is one of the most beneficial. Scientists can modify plants to grow in adverse environments, places where there are often droughts and floods. Researchers are working on plants that can survive frost ("Advocates . . ."). Other plants are being genetically altered to fight certain diseases. A good example of this is the tomato. If a tomato is given a fungal-fighting microbe, it can resist the gray mold called botrytis (Dyson).
Biotechnology is also making plants more nutritious by increasing protein and vitamin content. Animals are even genetically engineered to produce meats that contain less fat. Scientists are even working to take t...
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... and Leone, Bruno, series editors. San Diego: Greenhaven press, 1996.
Elmer-Dewitt, Philip. "The Genetic Revolution" Time. January 17, 1994. pp. 46-53
"Food Biotechnology: Federal Regulations and Labeling." [On-Line]. Available:
http://ificinfo.health.org/brochure/bioregs.htm
"Genetic Engineering." The 1998 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Inc. 1997.
"Genetic Engineering." The New Illustrated Science and Invention Encyclopedia. Volume 8. Connecticut: H.S. Stuttman, Inc. 1989. p. 1104.
Loveard, Keith and Tet Sieu, Choong, "Magic Genes." [On-Line]. Available: http://www.pathfinder.com/asiaweek/97/0905/cs1.html
The Economist, from the editors. "Genetic Research Will Improve the Quality of Health Care" in Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints, Bender, David and Leone, Bruno, series editors. San Diego: Greenhaven press, 1996.
Over two decades have passed since the enactment of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education, including athletics. As a result of Title IX, women and girls have benefited from more athletic participation opportunities and more equitable facilities. Because of Title IX, more women have received athletic scholarships and thus opportunities for higher education that some may not have been able to afford otherwise. In addition, because of Title IX the salaries of coaches for women's teams have increased. Despite the obstacles women face in athletics, many women have led and are leading the way to gender equity.
A major fallacy in this reading is Slippery Slope. As a Princeton freshman states, "it's just so easy, and the class was a waste of time, anyway." Well maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Some students might think the class is difficult. It might even be an important class to them.
Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...
"As soon as we moved into this house, you think you can have your way. You are my wife and I tell you what you can do and what you can't do." This kind of statement is typical of what a battered woman knows to be the only truth in her household. Domestic violence is greatly on the rise and is one of the leading causes of homelessness among women in today's society.
The culture that exists in America is one that is constantly changing to suit the times and the many different types of people that reside in the country. One aspect of American culture that has changed profoundly is the institution of marriage. Marriage began as the undisputed lifestyle for couples willing to make the ultimate commitment to one another. However in less than a century, pointless and destructive alternatives such as premarital cohabitation, have developed to replace marriage.
Science and technology are rapidly advancing everyday; in some ways for the better, and in some, for worse. One extremely controversial advance is genetic engineering. As this technology has high potential to do great things, I believe the power genetic engineering is growing out of control. Although society wants to see this concept used to fight disease and illness, enhance people 's lives, and make agriculture more sustainable, there needs to be a point where a line is drawn.
Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N. (2000b). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
Homelessness is increasing more every year. In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 640,000 people experience homelessness every night. (Hunger and Homelessness in North America) By definition, the homeless are groups of people that do not have a home. They can be people who are mentally ill, unemployed, veterans, or even children born into unfortunate families. Since they have nowhere to go, the homeless usually live inside abandoned buildings, in the streets, or in makeshift homes, such as a cardboard box or homemade tent. Although some work to find a decent home, many still suffer from depression or are psychically disabled and cannot work. (Overview of Homelessness in America) These people do not choose to be homeless, instead they become homeless due to a series of unfortunate events; namely losing their source of income or becoming homeless by birth. One instance of this occurred in the life of Hazel Washington. Hazel was fleeing an abusive relationship when she moved in with her relative and his girlfriend, but she was not told about their impending eviction. Because of this, her roommates took everything she owned an...
“Domestic violence is an emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated against a person by a person's spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner or by the other parent of a minor child” (McCue 2). While it is these things, the violence is also considered a pattern of demeanor used to establish power and control over another person with whom an intimate relationship is or has been shared through fear and intimidation (“Domestic Violence Sourcebook” 9). It has many names, including spouse abuse, domestic abuse, domestic assault, battering, partner abuse, marital strife, marital dispute, wife-beating, marital discord, woman abuse, dysfunctional relationship, intimate fighting, mate beating, and so on (2). Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Accommodations, believes that domestic violence is “terrorism in the home” (2). This type of abuse involves threats, harm, injury, harassment, control, terrorism, or damage to living beings/property (2). It isn't only in relationships with spouses, it also occurs within family, elderly, and children (9).
Historically, domestic violence was viewed as only involving physical abuse. However, the more contemporary view of domestic violence has come to include not only physical types of abuse; but as well as emotional, sexual, physiological, and economic violence that may be committed
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).
An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, is the story of a man named Dr. Thomas Stockman, who becomes a deviant to society. After discovering that the waters in the town’s baths are polluted, Dr. Stockman tries to spread the news and have the baths shut down. He assumes that the townspeople will be happy to hear his news, since the water is what has been making everyone sick. However, many people in the town aren’t very happy to hear such news, and before Dr, Stockman realizes it, the entire town has turned against him. Stockman criticizes the townspeople for this, and even refers to them as “street curs.” What made the town turn against him? Did they honestly all disagree with the doctor’s opinion? Did they fall to group pressure? Or, was it his brother the mayor’s influence?
Baum, Alice and Donald Burnes. A Nation in Denial: The Truth About Homelessness. Boulder: Westview, 2011.
Before being used on humans it was used on crops to enhance the livestock to increase taste size and many other desirable traits in food to make them more enticing to consumers and to make them easier to grow in certain weather conditions and also to withstand pesticides needed to safeguard the crops. There is not any proof of the long term effects of genetic engineering. People have been worried about the effects of eating genetically engineered crops on their health and because of the concern the Organic Trade Association doesn’t allow genetically altered.
The sudden socioeconomic transformation of the last century has substantially affected the tradition of marriage in modern society. Therefore, several alternatives to marriage have become available and grown to be more popular than marriage for today’s couples due to its suitability to current conditions. Some of these alternative statuses to marriage are cohabitation, divorce, or simply continuing to be single and this claim is supported through the findings of a recent study. The percentage of adults who are married has notably decreased from 1960 to 2008 by twenty percent (Pew Research Center). These statistics will not improve any time soon as “the average age at which men and women first marry is now the highest ever recorded” (Pew Research Center). These statistics may seem that society has lost a valuable part of life and the significance of two partners becoming one. However, from another perspective, it is a positive change in society where one or both partners do not lose their individuality and are equal, and are more accepting of other relationship choices.