NICHOLAS SINGH

LOWER 6 SCIENCE

BIOLOGY

Assignment:
-Discuss the implication of the use of genetically modified organisms on humans and the
environment in terms of medical, agriculture, ethical and social implication.

-Discuss the possible benefits and hazards of gene therapy.

 Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering, also known as recombinant DNA technology, means altering the genes in a
living organism to produce a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) with a new genotype.
Various kinds of genetic modification are possible: inserting a foreign gene from one species into
another, forming a transgenic organism; altering an existing gene so that its product is changed;
or changing gene expression so that it is translated more often or not at all. Human genetic
engineering is the modification of an individual's genotype with the aim of choosing
the phenotype of a newborn or changing the existing phenotype of a child or adult. It holds the
promise of curing genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis and increasing the immunity of people to
viruses.
Medical implication of genetic engineering on humans and the
environment:
Medicine was the first area to benefit from genetic engineering. Using recombinant DNA
technology, scientists can produce large quantities of many medically useful substances,
including hormones, immune-system proteins, and proteins involved in blood clotting and blood-
cell production. Before the advent of genetic engineering, many therapeutic peptides such as
insulin were harvested from human cadavers and the pancreases of donor animals such as pigs or
horses. Using foreign (non-human) proteins posed serious risks: in some patients the introduction
of foreign proteins elicited serious allergic or immune reactions. Furthermore, there was a great
risk of inadvertently transmitting viruses from the donor tissue to the patient. By using human
DNA to produce proteins for medical use, such risks were greatly decreased, if not eliminated.

- Genetic Engineering in medicine tries to correct a genetic defect that is either inherited
such as cystic fibrosis or acquired such as cancer.
- Strict regulations ensure that the use of genetic engineering in medicine does not result in
the intentional release of viable genetically engineered organisms into the environment.
Drugs are produced under contained industrial conditions.
- A new drug or therapy produced using genetic engineering must undergo extensive pre-
clinical and clinical trials to assess not only efficiency but also to detect any unexpected
side effects.

Despite these precautions things can go unexpectedly wrong. For example, many diabetics have
reacted badly when switching from pig insulin to the “human” form of insulin produced by
genetically engineered bacteria.
Agricultural implication of genetic engineering on humans and
the environment:
For thousands of years genetics has made an impact on agriculture. When farmers, employ
selective breeding to increase their yield, they are using a kind of genetic engineering. They
control the reproduction of their plants and animals so that each new generation has as many
beneficial genes as possible. With such a history, then, it is no wonder that now, agriculture is
one of the industries leading the way in gene manipulation techniques.

Animals-Transgenic animals are animals that have had foreign genes implanted into their DNA
structure. These genes often help the animal fight diseases, grow stronger, or withstand harsh
environments. An antifreeze producing gene, for example, taken from cold water flounder has
been inserted into certain kinds of salmon so that they can be raised in colder climates. To make
an animal transgenic, foreign genes must be inserted into a freshly fertilized egg before it begins
to develop. The first step is to identify the desired gene in the donor cells. Once the target is
found, restriction enzymes are used to cut the gene out of its DNA chain. Next, the gene is
clipped into the DNA molecule of a bacterium, which will act as the carrier of the trait to the
animal. The bacteria carriers are then allowed to grow into a colony, and are radioactively tagged
to ensure that they have the desired gene. Once the carrier is ready, it is used to transplant the
gene into a host embryo. This embryo is then either duplicated or immediately inserted into a
surrogate mother so that it may develop.

Plants-The process involved in genetically engineering a plant is similar to that for an animal.
The target gene must be found, cut, and transplanted into a carrier organism which will implant it
in the host. The benefits of manipulating plants in this manner are varied. Soybeans have been
altered to increase their amino acid content (making them a healthier food source).
Photosynthesis can be made more efficient in some green plants. Fruits can be given a strong
resistance to bruising. A crop's defenses against disease and pests can be increased.
Genetically engineered organisms in agriculture are produced specifically for the intentional
release into the environment. However some scientists estimate that plants genetically
engineered to be herbicide-resistant will greatly increase the amount of herbicide use. Farmers,
knowing that their crops can tolerate the herbicides, will use them more liberally. 
More Pesticides will be released, genetically engineered crops often manufacture their own
pesticides and may be classified as pesticides by the EPA. This strategy will put more pesticides
into our food and fields than ever before. 

A genetically engineered cross between a horse and a

Zebra.
Implication of genetic engineering: Social and Ethical

The biggest ethical issue in genetic engineering is about the concern over creating living creatures out of
genetic material. Human cloning or even crossing animal and human genes to create living creatures will
lead to the emergence of a different type of creatures. There can be several unethical things that can
happen like creation of living organisms and using them as labor or slaves. Thus care has to be taken
about who could use these technological advances, and what are the unethical threats, which need to be
prevented.
Besides this, one major ethical issue that a majority of people have cited is that the use of genetic
engineering for creation of life forms is similar to ‘playing God’ and taking control of creation and
destruction of life on earth. While on one hand, the ability of genetic engineering to cure diseases and
health conditions is a great benefit, the possibilities of its misuse are plenty. 
Some individuals have argued that crossing species boundaries is unnatural, immoral, and in
violation of God’s laws. This argument presumes that species boundaries are fixed and readily
delineated. However, a recent issue of the American Journal of Bioethics reflects that the notion
of species boundaries is a hotly debated topic. Some bioethicists have pointed out there are a
variety of species concepts: biological, morphological, ecological, typological, evolutionary,
phylogenetic, to name a few.All of these definitions of what a species is reflect changing theories
and the varying purposes for which different species are used by individuals.

-The risks and benefits of the experimental use of animals need to be discussed as well.
Similarly, by combining animal DNA and human DNA with plant DNA, do we run the risk of
creating new diseases for which there is no treatment? The long-term risks to the environment
are unknown. Various bioethicists, environmentalists, and animal rights activists have argued
that it is wrong to create “monsters” or animals that would suffer as a result of genetic
alternation (for example, a pig with no legs), and that such experimentation should be banned.

Major Genetic engineering in humans may also be unaccepted by the society, also in agriculture
people may be hesitant to eat genetically engineered food eg tomatoes with genes from a
penguin to grow in cold conditions.
 Possible benefits and hazards of gene therapy.
Gene Therapy Possible Benefits:

To make disease a thing of the past-

The single most factor that gives gene therapy its edge is its incredible beneficial potential. The
human race has always been under the continuous attack of diseases. As we find cure for some of
the diseases, we are attacked by new and more dangerous forms of germs. Although such
diseases can be cured through medicines, genetic disorders have no cure unless the defective
gene is replaced by the correct one and this is what gene therapy aims at. Moreover, by targeting
the reproductive cells, such defects can be got rid of for good. People suffering from genetic
disorders like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease are some of
those whose only hope for cure is gene therapy.

Most people on the planet die of disease or have family members that
do.Our genomes are not as robust as we would like them to be and genetic mutations either
directly cause a disease such as Cystic fibrosis, or they contribute to it greatly i.e. Alzheimer's.
Or in the case of some conditions such as the heart disease Cardiomyopathy, genetic
mutations can make our bodies more susceptible to attack from viruses or our own immune
system. If the full benefits of gene therapy are ever realised we can replace the bad genes with
correctly functioning copies.
To extend life spans

Having enjoyed life, most of us want to cling on to it for as long as possible. The genetic
engineering of humans has the potential to greatly increase our life spans. Some estimates
imagine that 100-150 years could be the norm. Of course gene therapy for a fatal condition will
increase the lifespan of the patient but we're also talking about genetic modifications of healthy
people to give them a longer life. Once we fully understand the genetics of ageing it may be
possible to slow down or reverse some of the cellular mechanisms that lead to our decline - for
example by preventing telomeres at the ends of chromosomes from shortening. Telomere
shortening is known to contribute to cell senescence.

Better pharmaceuticals

The knowledge gained by working out genetic solutions for the above could help with the design
of better pharmaceutical products that are able to target specifically genetic mutations in each
individual.
Gene therapy Possible Hazards:

There are risks associated with getting genes into a human body and having them carry out the
desired function. Some genes are carried in on viral vectors and these bugs have been altered so
as not to infect a patient with a disease. We simply do not know long term the potential
consequences of altering genes. For example, if you were to stop telomeres from shortening
would this have negative knock-on effects elsewhere in the genome? The human genome and our
whole bodies are a maze of complicated biological signals, pathways and interrelationships. A
positive change upstream could cause a negative effect downstream

Genetic diversity

If we were all to undergo genetic modification it may limit our genetic diversity. There
could be a danger to our gene pool that diminishes and that as a population we become
more susceptible to being wiped out by a future unknown disease threat.

Scientific Issues:

Although the most popular choice as a vector, using virus for the purpose is not foolproof. There is a
specific point within the host genome where the correct gene should be introduced. There is no guarantee
that the viral enzyme that is responsible for this step will be able to introduce the correct gene at the
specific point in the host chromosome. In case, there is an error in this process, it would result in error in
the genetic makeup of the cell and can result in serious disorders.

Ethical Issues:

Given the technology involved, it is obvious that gene therapy treatment will be expensive. It will be just
the rich who would be able to afford its benefits. This gives rise to the refrain that gene therapy will make
the rich, richer and the poor, poorer.

Religious Issues:

Manipulating genetic makeup of man is absolutely unacceptable by those with strong religious beliefs.
According to them altering genes is similar to tinkering with nature. It's like questioning God's will or in
other words, 'playing God'.