DNA The Stuff Life is Made Of
In 1995, at the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, Scotland, the birth of two lambs heralded what many scientists believe to be a period of revolutionary opportunities in biology and medicine. Megan and Morag, both carried fully to term by a surrogate mother, were not produced from the union of a sperm and an egg. Instead, their genetic material came from cultured cells originally developed from a nine-day-old embryo. That made Megan and Morag genetic copies, or clones, of the embryo. The success of this experiment led researchers to clone animals from cultured cells taken from a 26-day-old fetus and from a mature ewe. The cells from the ewe gave rise to Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult. The announcement of the cloning of Dolly in February of 1997, attracted an enormous amount of attention. Perhaps this is because the cloning of Dolly drew attention to the theoretical possibility of cloning humans. This possibility leaves many people wondering just how far scientists should delve into these new possibilities. Genetic engineering will make it possible to wipe out virtually every disease known to mankind, allowing humans to live much longer, fruitful lives.
Secondly, genetic engineering is a new gateway to fighting disease. The capacity to create new biological organisms, such as super-efficient cows or tomatoes, has already arrived. With the benefits of gene therapy there are hopes for equally dramatic alterations of the human genome. Some of the possibilities include the following: total elimination of diseases such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis and the enhancement of a variety of human capacities such as intelligence, and enhanced sensory organs. Genetic engineering also aims to improve desirable traits. Anders Sandberg, a young Swedish scientist, not only recommends the removal of genetic "defects" and less harmful "undesirable traits" such as drug abuse, aggression, and wisdom teeth but proposes a wide selection of enhancements to benefit the entire race. Systemic improvements involves reprogramming cells to be more resistant to aging, toxins, and fat. Finally, the prospective benefits of genetic engineering outweigh its vague risks. The potential medical benefits of genetic engineering are too enormous for society to let them pass by us. It would also be immoral not to use the technology that the human race has been given. Humans accept a fairly strong commitment to the goal of equality o
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Approximate Word count = 860
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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