What are the potential advantage and disadvantages of genetic engineering?

Answer 1

advantages :

1. Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, Infectious Diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.

2. Another of genetic engineering is that diseases could be prevented by detecting people that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. As well as preventing disease, with genetic engineering infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen

3. Animals and plants can be 'tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.

4. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.

5. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces.

disadvantages.

1. Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.

2. Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature.

3. Another reason why people think that using genetically modified crops and plants is a disadvantage is that they think it will increase our reliance on pesticides, which have a harmful effect on the environment.

4. Another disadvantage of Genetic Engineering is Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Also it brings into question Darwin's theory of "the survival of the fittest", if this theory has worked over the last 20 centuries , why change it? ...

experimental 'breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.

1. At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named 'Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally

2. Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. (Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)

Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself.

Answer 2

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

*Today, April 25, 2008 is 55 years from the publication of the Crick and Watson article postulating the double helix as the structure for the DNA molecule: the beginning of genetic engineering.

Answer 3

The advantages are that disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. :) But I have no idea what the disadvantages are. :( sorry

Answer 4

Some advantages of genetic technology are to the cure to diseases and early track-age of any life threatening disease in the genes. It also helps track potential problems in life so quick improvements can be made, BUT genetic technology can also interfere with DNA and also manipulate the bodies genes to what its not supposed to be. It also brings unnatural effects to the body which aren't meant to be and this can prove disastrous, especially if you are in complete control of you're genetic makeup.