GENETIC

ENGINEERING
HISTORY
Advantages and
Disadvantages of
Genetic
Engineering
1. It allows for a faster growth rate.
Genetic engineering allows of plants or animals
to be modified so their maturity can occur at a
quicker pace. Engineering can allow this maturity
to occur outside of the normal growth
conditions that are favorable without genetic
changes as well. Even if there is higher levels of
heat or lower levels of light, it becomes possible
to expand what can be grown in those
conditions.
2. It can create an extended life.
Genetic modification can help to create
resistance to common forms of organism death.
Pest resistance can be included into the genetic
profiles of plants so they can mature as a crop
without any further additives. Animals can have
their genetic profiles modified to reduce the
risks of common health concerns that may affect
the breed or species. This creates the potential
for an extended lifespan for each organism.
3. Specific traits can be developed.
Plants and animals can have specific traits
developed through genetic engineering that can
make them more attractive to use or
consumption. Different colors can be created to
produce a wider range of produce. Animals can
be modified to produce more milk, grow more
muscle tissue, or produce different coats so that
a wider range of fabrics can be created.
4. New products can be created.
With genetic engineering, new products can be
created by adding or combining different profiles
together. One example of this is to take a specific
product, such as a potato, and alter its profile so that it
can produce more nutrients per kcal than without the
genetic engineering. This makes it possible for more
people to get what they need nutritionally, even if
their food access is limited, and this could potentially
reduce global food insecurity.
5. Greater yields can be produced.
Genetic engineering can also change the traits of
plants or animals so that they produce greater yields
per plant. More fruits can be produced per tree, which
creates a greater food supply and more profits for a
farmer. It also creates the potential for using modified
organisms in multiple ways because there is a greater
yield available. Modified corn, for example, can be
used for specific purposes, such as animal feed,
ethanol, or larger cobs for human consumption.
6. Risks to the local water supply are reduced.
Because farmers and growers do not need to
apply as many pesticides or herbicides to their
croplands due to genetic engineering, fewer
applications to the soil need to occur. This
protects the local watershed and reduces the risk
of an adverse event occurring without risking the
yield and profitability that is needed.
7. It is a scientific practice that has been in place
for millennia.
Humans in the past may not have been able to directly
modify the DNA of a plant or animal in a laboratory,
but they still practiced genetic engineering through
selective breeding and cross-species or cross-
breeding. People would identify specific traits, seek out
other plants or animals that had similar traits, and then
breed them together to create a specific result. Genetic
engineering just speeds up this process and can
predict an outcome with greater regularity.
1. The nutritional value of foods can be less.
When animals grow, and mature quickly, the
nutritional value of that product can be reduced. This
can be seen in poultry products today with the white
striping that is found in meat products. That striping is
a fat deposit that was created, often in the breast
meat, because of the rapid growth of the bird. In
chickens, Good Housekeeping reports that this can
increase the fat content of the meat consumed by over
220%. At the same time, the amount of protein that is
received is also reduced.
2. Pathogens adapt to the new genetic profiles.
Genetic engineering can create a natural resistance
against certain pathogens for plants and animals, but
the natural evolutionary process is geared toward
creating pathways. Bacteria and viruses evolve a
resistance to the resistance that is created by the
genetic engineering efforts. This causes the pathogens
to become stronger and more resistant than they
normally would be, potentially creating future health
concerns that are unforeseen.
3. There can be negative side effects that are
unexpected.
Genetic engineering is guaranteed to make a change.
Many of those changes are positive, creating more and
healthier foods. Some of those changes, however, can
be negative and unexpected. Making a plant become
more tolerant to drought might also make that plant
become less tolerant to direct sunlight. Animals may
be modified to produce more milk, but have a
shortened lifespan at the same time so farmers suffer a
greater livestock.
4. The amount of diversity developed can be
less favorable.
At some point, genetically engineered plants
and animals make it “into the wild” and interact
with domestic species. This results in a crossing
of “natural” and “artificial” organisms. The
engineered organisms often dominate, resulting
in only a modified species over several
generations, reducing the diversity that is
available.
5. Copyrighted genetic engineering can have costly
consequences.
Many companies copyright their genetic engineering
processes or products to maintain their profitability. If
a farmer plants genetically modified crops and the
pollination process causes another farmer in the field
over to have those modified crops grow, there have
been precedents for legal actions against the
“unauthorized” farmer. This can have several costly
consequences, from fewer farmers wanting to work to
a higher cost for the seeds that are planted.
6. This knowledge and technology can be easily abused.
At the moment, genetic engineering in humans is being used
to treat specific disorders that threaten the health or wellbeing
of individuals. In time, the approach in humans could be like
what is already being done with plants and animals. Genetic
engineering can change specific traits, which could create
human outcomes that are ethically questionable or easily
abused.
The advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering
show that the results can be generally positive, but there must
be controls in place to manage the negative when it occurs.