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• Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering And Cloning
• Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering In Humans
• Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering In Agriculture

Genetic engineering is a process of transfer of desired gene into another organism or cells and modify it characters in a way beneficial to humans.

Genetic engineering is a part of biotechnology and is widely used in areas like food and medicine.

The process involves determination of qualities required which might be beneficial to humans.

• Pros and Cons of Genetic engineering in Plants. Increasing the number of population day by day needs more food for human. To supply the food to the huge population genetic engineering is the solution. Genetic engineering fulfils the food demand. It makes the plant resistant to pest, insects etc. Genetic engineering to increase the food quantity.
• The pros and cons of genetically engineered food include the following: Pros Better Pest and Disease Resistance Fruits and vegetables are often genetically engineered. Genetic modification of crops can produce varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases, reducing losses and lessening the dependence on pesticides.

You may be surprised with the results of our human cloning poll. Check out the pros and cons of genetic engineering and its techniques. Should it be legal? Nowadays many people are not really sure what genetic engineering is. This essay sample discusses such questions as cloning and gene modifications.

Isolating the desired gene which encodes for the fore mentioned characters.

Transfer of that isolated desired gene into the genome of organism or cell of choice.

Growing of the organism (whose genome I modified) to express its characters.

Genetic engineering serves the purposes like

Animals: Dairy animals are genetically engineered to yield high quantities of milk and flesh.

Crops: Crops are made more tolerant adverse environment conditions and also disease resistant.

Drugs: Drugs like antibiotics, vaccines, hormones (insulin) are produced in large scales

Pros and cons of genetic engineering

From the above mentioned, it appears that genetic engineering is highly beneficial. But, like every technology, it also has few disadvantages. So here we discuss them one by one

Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering And Cloning

Pros of genetic engineering

1. To overcome food scarcity
2. To overcome diseases
3. To treat diseases.
4. Enhanced research
5. Large scale production at low price.

Cons of genetic engineering

1. Destruction of natural characters
2. Loss of regeneration ability
3. Decline in natural strength and resistance.
4. Misuse for financial benefits.

To overcome food scarcity: Before the production of genetically engineered plant varieties, the farm yield per hectare was very low. Since the land is a limited resource, one has to grow enough food grains in the limited area. So countries with heavy population and those with severe climatic challenges had to get maximum yield per hectare during crop season. Genetic engineering helped in development of varieties which give more yield. This helped in solving food scarcity and other requirements.

Also disease resistant variety of crops is another contribution. Many crops suffer from multiple diseases and pests leading to low yield. By development of genetically modified seeds which are able to withstand diseases and harsh climatic conditions, the yield has been enhanced.

To overcome diseases: Vaccines are way to prevent diseases in future. Among the types of vaccines available, there are also genetically engineered vaccines. These genetically engineered vaccines are especially made for those diseases where the microbe isolation is difficult. Ex: Hepatitis-B vaccine. Here, the a protein or antigen of the microbe causing disease is genetically built and prepared in large quantities for vaccination.

To treat diseases: This is an area where genetic engineering helps develop drugs to cure diseases. When other means of making drugs are unavailable, genetic engineering helped in mass production of drugs for important diseases like diabetes, cancer etc. Previously insulin was obtained from cattle to treat diabetics. But this method proved to be costly and also insufficient to meet large demands. Then insulin coding gene was introduced into genome of E-Coli through genetic engineering and large amount of insulin was produced by growing of the transformed E-coli in large culture broths.

Enhanced research: During scientific research, many time there is requirement of diseased models of animals to study the effects of drugs. Such animals with human diseases are produced by genetic engineering to mimic human condition. These animals are then used to see the drugs action. safety profile before taking up for human testing.

Large scale production at low price: Many substances which are produced by traditional methods have very low yield. This makes the process expensive and also time consuming. The same substance can be produced by genetic engineering in large amounts at low prices. Ex: Vitamins, enzymes.

Disadvantages from this technique:

This is quite controversial as many scientists do not agree. But yet there are many problems associated with this technique.

Destruction of natural characters: The original and native varieties are lost over time. And it is impossible to retrieve the original variety once the change has taken place. Some species of wheat, rice and other food crops are best suited for certain climatic conditions. Even consumption of such food is more suitable to the population living there. But due to genetic modification, the new varieties occupy the place of old. This leads to change in the species of plants and also will be less suitable for people for consumption living there.

Loss of regeneration ability: This is another interesting point. Many seed companies are believed to alter the crop seeds such that their yield seeds will not regenerate when sowed into soil. This is thought to make the farmer rely on the seeds from companies again and again. Thus, the companies can derive financial benefits again and again by making farmers dependent on them in future.

Decline in natural strength and resistance: Though these genetically modified varieties are said to be resistant to diseases, it seems they are still prone many other types of diseases for which they were not designed against. Hence though they overcome some diseases, they are even more susceptible for other diseases increase the cost of production.

Even the cattle which are genetically modified are unable to withstand different climatic conditions. Hence though they are bought with a hope of more milk yield, they are unable to survive in the new environment. This again leads to loss of time and money for the farmers.

Misuse for financial benefits: Just like every technology, this techniques also can be misused for financial benefits by the biotech companies and scientists. The vaccines were found to have an enzyme nagalase. This enzyme is though to deprive normal immunity which could lead to cancer in future.

Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering In Humans

Genetic engineering offers enormous benefits to humans. It has the potential to fulfil the human’s needs to a larger extent. For many years it is under practice to modify the organism’s genetic makeup.

However, it also causes the number of harmful effects. So, we must weigh the Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering.

Contents

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering in Animals and Humans

Genetic engineering benefits to cure diseases by the use of gene therapy, by organ transplant, and tissue transplant. It also helps to diagnose the diseases by the use of sensors or nano-chips. It also contributes to the production of designer babies with parent’s desired features, intelligence characters. In animals, genetic engineering produces transgenic animals to satisfy the requirement of meat by humans. The clone animals are being used as the test organism in the laboratory in order to test the drug in clinical trials. It also increases milk production in animals also to produce therapeutic important compounds.

Making transgenic animals or human clone is unethical as said by most of the opponents. Genetic diversity, which is important, in different species it will be no more because of genetic engineering. Instead of curing diseases via gene therapy, organ transplant it may result in causing more genetic deformities in both animals as well as humans. Though these experiments or treatment as not easy to be done it needs a large amount of funding. It also needs model organisms in large amount on which experiments can be done. Creating designer babies is also not a process with any errors. The huge number of genetic defects can occur in making designer babies.

• Cure & Diagnose Disease
• Designer Babies
• Increased Milk Production in farm animals
• Clones as test organisms
• Transgenic Animals for constant meat supply
• Therapeutic compounds production from animals

Pros And Cons Of Genetic Engineering In Agriculture

• Unethical
• Reduced genetic diversity
• Increased genetic deformities
• Require large fundings
• Designer babies more prone to genetic disorders

Pros and Cons of Genetic engineering in Plants

Increasing the number of population day by day needs more food for human. To supply the food to the huge population genetic engineering is the solution. Genetic engineering fulfils the food demand. It makes the plant resistant to pest, insects etc. Genetic engineering to increase the food quantity. It also enhances the crop productivity. As plants are resistant to pesticide, insecticide it will limit the use of pesticide spray. This will affect to reduce the environmental pollution. It is also important to increase the shelf life of food so that it can stay fresh for a longer period of time. Plants are going to have the property to be able to grow in poorer environmental conditions.

Genetic engineering can also affect the wild type of crops. As it transfers the gene to wild plant. It can also target the undesirable gene. Allergens in plants produced as a result of genetic engineering can be transferred to human as if humans eat that allergic food. Cross specie barriers can cause harmful effects. With increasing quantity of food, it is possible that food can have less nutritional properties as compared to wild type.

• To fulfil food demand
• Insects or pest resistant
• Limited use of pesticide or insecticides spray
• Improved food quantity
• Increased shelf life
• To grow in harsh environmental conditions

• Gene transfer to wild-type
• Allergens transfer to humans
• Cross specie barrier
• Less nutritional properties

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering in Microorganisms

Genetic engineering in microorganism produces the large number of pharmaceutically important compounds such as insulin, clotting factors. CRISPR (clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats) system found in prokaryotes can be used to cure diseases by genetic manipulation. Genetic engineering can also enhance biofuel production. Microbes after genetic engineering with improved properties can be used as a vector for plant improvement, and to facilitate the crop growth. Genetic engineering halts the microorganism’s ability to cause diseases. Microorganism those are not thermophile via genetic modification they will have the ability to survive high temperature.

Genetic manipulation of microorganisms that are non-pathogenic may develop the pathogenic form of these non-pathogenic strains. Similarly in genetic manipulation of pathogenic strains to less or non-pathogenic strains during drug development may develop its toxic form. Genetically engineered microorganism poses risk to the human health as well as to the environment.

• Pharmaceutical compounds
• CRISPR for treating genetic diseases
• For biofuel production
• As a vector for plant improvement
• Halt disease-causing property of microorganism
• Ability to survive in high temperature

• Can develop
• Non-pathogenic strain to pathogenic
• Pathogenic to virulent
• A risk to human health
• Risk to environment

So far, due to lack of public understanding about genetic engineering and regulatory bodies. It is not being perceived as safe by masses. Both International and national laws are needed. Certain limits need to be drawn which can only be done by scientists, lawmakers and activists can sit together.