Velez College

F. Ramos St., Cebu City

Activity 4 - For Week Starting 04/14/20 Ending 04/17/20

LAGUE , INAH KRIZIA O. BSN 2A

Deadline: Tuesday, April 20, 2020

Unit 3, Chapter 3: Genetic Engineering

Instruction: You need to read Unit 3 (Chapter 3) and answer briefly the following questions.

I. Essential Questions

1. Does scientific research, particularly in the area of genetic engineering, always serves the
best interest of the people?

Yes, just like in the genetically modified foods, although GM foods had helped sustain the
nutritional needs of human beings and farm animals and mounting evidence showed that GM
foods were substantially equivalent to traditionally bred food sources, it has also sparked fierce
debate about its safety. This has generated worldwide interest in finding a common and
harmonious narrative to deal with new opportunities and challenges of biotechnology.
Genetically modified technology was first introduced in the pharmaceutical industry and then
applied to agriculture. So far, genetic engineering has been largely advantageous for humanity.
The reason I think it has been largely advantageous is that there aren’t many examples of
genetic manipulations with bad consequences, and there are countless examples of good,
beneficial developments.

2. Should there be limits on genetically engineered fruits and vegetables?

Yes, the genetic material must be stably integrated; the expression of the genetic material
must not result in plant disease.  Genetically engineered fruits and vegetable can possibly drive
indigenous species to extinction. The Food and Drug Administration encourages developers of
new plant varieties intended for food use, including GMOs, to engage in a consultation
procedure with the FDA, in order “to ensure that human food and animal feed safety issues or
other regulatory issues are resolved prior to commercial distribution.” The consultation
procedure is meant to enable the FDA to determine if regulatory action is needed with respect
to food derived from the new variety such as “significantly increased levels of plant toxicants or
anti-nutrients, reduction of important nutrients, new allergens, or the presence in the food of
an unapproved food additive.”  Among the issues subject to consultation is the food safety of
new proteins in new plant varieties, including those developed through genetic engineering .
3. Should there be limits on cloning plants, animals and humans?

Yes, an example to that is the famous sheep named dolly. Two years after the famous sheep
named Dolly arrived in the world, becoming the first mammal cloned from an adult animal cell,
the Council of Europe approved the first international agreement that prohibited the cloning of
human beings. Twenty years have passed and human cloning is still not allowed in most
countries of the world, although research is being done with other modalities of the
technology, according to the regulations of each state. In general, the countries that have
addressed the topic of cloning have banned reproductive cloning. Within this technique, red
lines have been drawn on the replication of human beings, but not of animals. In fact, following
the birth of Dolly, more species have been cloned, such as calves, cats, deer, dogs, horses, oxen,
rabbits and rats but there are still limits.

4. How much financial support should the government provide for biotechnology research?
I think the government should also provide enough financial support for biotechnology
research based on the country`s economic status or financial stability since in biotechnology
research, a complete analysis and understanding of the structure, function, and regulation of a
gene is usually needed before it can be used for a specific purpose. Such analysis requires a
substantial investment of time, talent, and funds before practical applications can be
devised.The types of products that can be developed using biotechnology depend on earlier
investments made in basic research. In the USA, the USA has made the world's largest
commitment to basic research in biological sciences. Through collaboration with the private
sector, the government hopes to receive optimal returns from its public biotechnology support.
The federal government funds about half of the biotechnology related research, while private
companies take care of the other half.

5. Should there be new laws that regulate gene research and genetic engineering?

There is a fundamental divide in the world about how we regulate biotechnology that
goes beyond the categories of promotional, permissive, or prohibitive. It is whether we
think of biotechnology as a thing unto itself, or whether we think of it simply as one
more tool that goes into making various products. Each nation has the option of setting
their own rules and guidelines on gene research and genetic engineering but base on my
research on the different laws provided by different countries with regards to gene research
and genetic engineering, they already have guidelines that ensure the safety of the public and
the environment before granting permission for research in the field. If there will be new laws
that will enhance the safety of the people and the environment , I think it will be alright since I
do believe that a law is not a law if it violates the principles of eternal justice.
6-7 What are genetically modified organisms? Why are they useful and how are they applied in
food production at present?

Genetically modified organisms, also reffered to as transgenic, is a product of genetic

engineering. GMOs are living cells or organisms with altered or modified DNA, making them
capable of producing new substances or performing new functions. Genetic engineering has
proven to be useful in many different fields or aspects of society such as in medicine, food
industry and agriculture. Food can be genetically modified to have more proteins or other
enzymes improving the nutritional value and even medical properties of these products.

8. Why are bacteria used in genetic and genetic engineering research?

Bacteria were the first organisms to be genetically modified in the laboratory, due to the
relative ease of modifying their chromosomes. This ease made them important tools for the
creation of other GMOs. Genes and other genetic information from a wide range of organisms
can be added to a plasmid and inserted into bacteria for storage and modification. Bacteria are
cheap, easy to grow, clonal, multiply quickly, are relatively easy to transform, and can be stored
at -80 °C almost indefinitely.

9-10 What policies or guidelines research and commercial applications of genetic engineering in
the Philippines (cite only 2)

On April 3, 2002, the Department of Agriculture issued its Administrative Order No. 8 Series of
2002 “Rules and Regulations for the Importation and Release into the Environment of Plants
and Plant Products Derived from the Use of Modern Biotechnology.” The adoption and
implementation of the National Biosafety System of the country as embodied in EO 430 has
been accompanied by a policy of maximum public information and public participation within
legal limits.