Genetic Engineering is the Future Essay -- Expository Essays Research

Genetic Engineering is the Future The debate over genetic engineering has emerged as one of the hot topics of today's political mainstream. With new discoveries happening everyday, science is coming closer to achieving perfection in the art of genetic manipulation. But is it all worth it? Some people argue that genetic engineering is a corporate scandal, and simply allows large companies to make more money. I will show through my research that the benefits of gene alteration far outweigh the claimed consequences. The actual process of gene transfer is very complicated. The first companies to employ genetically altered products emerged only 40 years ago. With fast developing technology, researchers are able to examine entire stands of DNA. What scientists discovered is a three step process that is involved in the transfer of Genes. First, RNA becomes synthesized in the DNA, and the genetic code of the organism is inscribed. This is called transformation. Next the RNA is introduced to a new cell, called transduction. (Welsh, pg. 43) The first successful cell transfer was in bacteria. Once RNA was induced there was a conjugal transfer of the DNA between bacteria cells. (Welsh, pg. 45) The host bacteria adopted the same traits of the mother DNA cell. What scientists realized is that this process can be manipulated. Once sequences of DNA were analyzed there was an explosion of knowledge that was gained. Scientists unlocked the genes that were responsible for hundreds of different functions in plants and animals. In the agricultural industry, there is always a demand for better products. Strands of DNA in seeds have been researched greatly. What basically happens is science perfects hybridization. ("Food and ... ... Genetic Engineering. Probe Ministries International. . Heaf, David. Lists of Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering. . Home Page. Arizona State University. 5 Apr. 2003 . Murray, K.. "Genetic Engineering: Possibilities and Prospects for its Application in Industrial Microbiology." JSTOR (1980): 369-386. 5 Apr. 2003 . Siegl, Gunter. New Aspects of Positive Strand RNA Viruses. Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology, 1990. Sonnino, A. Induced Variation for Potato Improvement. Lima, Peru: Information Sciences Department, 1991. Â