Term paper on Genetic Engineering

Free Genetic Engineering papers

Hep A
Infectious hepatitis is a contagious liver disease, which is sometimes fatal. Infectious hepatitis is more commonly known as hepatitis A because of the virus that causes it. This disease infects around 143,000 people in the United States per year. Hepatitis A is found in the feces of an infecte

Hero
1/22/01 English Hahn Hero Hero, person admired for bravery, great deeds, or noble qualities. -Thorndike Barnhart Dictionary. These are just three qualities and characteristics of a hero of the many. James Fenimore Cooper s hero is from the wilderness and a hero from the past. It is ins

Genetic engineering is a laboratory technique used by scientists to change the DNA of living organisms.

DNA is the blueprint for the individuality of an organism. The organism relies upon the information stored in its DNA for the management of every biochemical process. The life, growth and unique features of the organism depend on its DNA. The segments of DNA which have been associated with specific features or functions of an organism are called genes. Molecular biologists have discovered many enzymes which change the structure of DNA in living organisms. Some of these enzymes can cut and join strands of DNA. Using such enzymes, scientists learned to cut specific genes from DNA and to build customized DNA using these genes. They also learned about vectors, strands of DNA like viruses, which can infect a cell and insert themselves into its DNA. With this knowledge, scientists started to build vectors which incorporated genes of their choosing and used the new vectors to insert these genes into the DNA of living organisms. Genetic engineers believe they can improve the foods we eat by doing this. For example, tomatoes are sensitive to frost. This shortens their growing season. Fish, on the other hand, survive in very cold water. Scientists identified a particular gene which enables a flounder to resist cold and used the technology of genetic engineering to insert this 'anti-freeze' gene into a tomato. This makes it possible to extend the growing season of the tomato.

The marketing of genetic engineering inspires visions of perfect health, long life, and miracle foods.

The reality is that these claims are often completely unsubstantiated and sometimes simply wrong.

Claim: Genetic engineering is necessary to feed the world.

Fact: Hunger in the world is caused by war, drought, and poverty, not by lack of supply.

Claim: Genetic engineering will help developing countries.

Fact: Biotech companies plan to protect their seed patents through the terminator technology. A terminator seed will grow, but the seeds it produces are sterile. Any nation that buys these seeds will swiftly lose any vestige of agricultural self sufficiency. The lives of the people will then be in the hands of the biotech companies, for they alone will have seeds that can grow.

Claim: Genetic engineering will reduce the use of herbicides.

Fact: Genetic engineering promotes herbicide resistant crops. This allows the...