What´s Genetic Engineering?

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Recommended: Genetic engineering blessing or curse for mankind

You are unique. Born into a family, you are the culmination of months’ worth of waiting and patience from your parents. The moment you are born may very well be the best day of their lives. Though you may not be very respectful at times, they still love you just as much as they did before. If they could change you though…if they could have put you together before you were born…would they? In the society of today, technology and human intellect are increasing at an astonishing rate. While the two may be equal at this moment, there will come a time where technology will overtake human intellect and may very well change the way we look at society today more than it ever has before. Genetic engineering is one of the first steps towards this change. Though it started out on animals and plants, genetic engineering is beginning to move towards the more aggressive altering of human genes. In a few years, the line separating “god” from “mortal” may become nothing more than an afterthought. In doing so, this paper shall also elaborate on genetic engineering’s history and current advances along with its potential misuses and limitations.

What is genetic engineering? Any medical dictionary will loosely defines it as “the group of applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology used to cut up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from one or more species of organism and to introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics” (“genetic engineering”). While most genetic research is for the purpose of medical advancement and the treatment of incurable genetic defects like Down’s syndrome, eugenics was once pursued under the guise of genetic engineering for the greater good. As defined a...

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“Bioethics” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web 25 April 2014.

Coker, Jeffrey Scott. "Genetic Engineering Is Natural and Should Be Pursued." Genetic Engineering. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Crossing the Species Boundary: Genetic Engineering as Conscious Evolution." Futurist 46.1 (2012). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 April 2014.

"Eugenics." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

"Gene Therapy." TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex Inc., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

"Genetic Engineering." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

Maranto, Gina. Quest for Perfection: The Drive to Breed Better Human Beings. Collingdage: Diane Publishing Co, 1996. Print.

Shah, Dhruti. "How the Nazis Undermined Eugenics." BBC News. BBC, 07 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

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