- 01/03/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
The emergence of genetic engineering opens larger opportunities for the development of modern medicine, agriculture and scientific progress. Genetic engineering can help to find cure to incurable diseases, develop genetically modified organisms in agriculture and creation of transplants. On the other hand, genetic engineering provokes a strong opposition from the conservative part of the society that stands on the ground of non-interference of humans in natural processes.
Speaking about the GM plants and traditional plants, it is necessary to point out that the former are steadily replacing the former in global terms. Moreover, the growth of the share of GM plants could be considerably faster if there were no limitations on their use and cultivation in many countries of the world, including those where they are already cultivated. At the same time, the supporters of the wider implementation of the technologies developed by genetic engineers argue that GM plants are considerably better compared to conventional plants that are currently cultivated by the majority of farmers worldwide (Griscom 2004).
To put it more precisely, it is estimated that GM plants could have larger crops compared to conventional plants (Cunningham 2006). Obviously, this is a convincing argument in favor of the wider use of the GM plants since they seem to be really helpful in the eternal struggle of people with hunger because the higher are the crops the better. Secondly, it is estimated that GM plants can decrease the use of pesticide since the new plants do not actually need pesticides, unlike conventional plants that need them (Lipson 1997). In fact, GM plants are more resistant to the external negative influences, including that of insects that often destroy crops of conventional plants. Naturally, this is also a convincing argument in favor of GM plants. In such a way, GM plants seem to be really more preferable to farmers since they can receive larger crops with less cost since they can save money on pesticides.
In such a situation, it is quite natural that the GM plants become widely spread. However, it is worthy of mention that the wider use of GM plants may face another serious problem that can be a serious obstacle to the prevention of hunger with the help of genetic engineering. What is meant here is the fact that the GM plants naturally replace conventional plants. To put it more precisely, due to their better characteristics they have higher resistance and, therefore, they are easier to cultivate and they simply survive while conventional plants either need pesticides or get destroyed by insects, for instance.
In actuality, the stem cell research is subject to heat debates between opponents and proponents of this research. On analyzing the problem of the stem cell research and related issues, it is important to lay emphasis on the fact that opponents of such researches basically stand on the religious ground. At any rate, they view the stem cells research as an attempt of scientists to play God.
Opponents of the stem cell research mainly focus on the research process itself and the subject of the research as well as the role of the researcher in experiments involving stem cells (Duin, 1999). The major problem, which raises the opposition to the stem cell research, is the daring fact that scientists are playing God when they conduct experiments with stem cells.
In fact, the stem cells research can contribute to the efficient treatment of terminally ill patients (Duin, 1999). Today, health care professionals can save lives of patients who would have died without findings made in the result of the stem cells research. For instance, the advancements in the research of stem cells and genetics helped to develop new, effective approaches to the treatment of such diseases as leukemia, which used to be incurable diseases. Consequently, millions of patients suffering from such diseases as leukemia can save their life due to findings made in the result of stem cell researches.
In addition, the stem cells research open larger opportunities for transplantation that will save lives of many patients and help them to return to the normal life. Scientists (Benoff & Grauman, 1997) argue that stem cells have a huge potential as regenerative material for the restoration of damaged cells and organs of human body. In actuality, this means that stem cells can be used for the creation of transplants and regeneration of cells. In this respect, it is worth mentioning the fact that people suffer from serious health problems, such as a C7 quadriplegic and the stem cell research can help to repair spinal cord damage that may return millions of people to their normal life.
In such a way, genetic engineering is very important but controversial issue because, in spite of numerous benefits, it has substantial drawbacks.
References:
Cunningham, W.P. and Cunningham, M.A. (2006). Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Benoff, M., & Grauman, D. M. (1997). Mastering the physician integration challenge. Healthcare Financial Management. Westchester.
Duin, J. (1999, July). “Reckless reproduction?” Insight on the News 15 (26), 41.
Griscom, A. (2004). Organic: friend or faux. Gristmill Magazine, April.
Easton, T. (2006). Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial environmental issues (14th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Klepper, R. (1977). “Economic performance and energy intensiveness on organic and conventional farms in the Corn Belt: a preliminary comparison”. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Vol 59, No. 1. February.
Lipson, M. (1997). Searching for o-word. Organic Farming Research Foundation. New York: Random House
Youngberg, I.G. and Buttel, F.H. (1984). U.S. agricultural policy and alternative farming systems: politics and prospects. Blacksburg: Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
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