Gene Altering
Since the beginning of the human race, we have been looking. We have
been
looking for ways to make our lives healthier, more comfortable, and
happier. In
the beginning it was simple rocks, plants, and fires. As our
technology advanced
so did the comfort of our lives. The wheel, the cure to
the plaque, and who can
forget the remote control, were all tools that made
it possible to improve the
quality of life. What tool lies ahead in the
future to promote our well being
and happiness? Genetic engineering is that
tool. Every living thing is made up
of genes, and with the capability of
altering these genes, the possibilities are
endless. Everything from better
quality produce to the prevention of cancer is a
possibility with genetic
engineering, and scientists are just now beginning to
understand the complex
gene patterns. If you can imagine a world free of
diabetes, or male pattern
baldness, and genetics has a major role. Genetic
engineers might someday have
the capabilities to remove these genes or even
clone wanted genes, and in the
end allowing us to live the healthy, comfortable,
happier lives we seek. The
numbers of positive outcomes from genetic engineering
are inconceivable.
Genetic engineering will lead to healthier, more comfortable,
and better
lives. Genetic engineering will improve every day produce and goods.
For
producers involved with living organisms as their products, genes play
a
major role in the quality of their products and amount of profit. If a
farmer's
cows are not as lean, or their corn is diseased, then the demand for
their
product is going to be less than the competition. That is where
genetics comes
in. It is possible, by altering certain genes, to create a
leaner cow, or a
disease resistant stalk of corn, and it is this fact that
makes genetic
engineering invaluable to the every day farmer. If their cattle
is leaner, or
their chickens are engineered to lay two eggs instead of one,
then there is
going to be a greater profit earned by the farmers, and a
better quality of
product. In the near future there may be bacon that is
relatively fat free, or a
chicken breast with twice the meat. By selecting
the wanted genes and removing
the unwanted, the producer can improve it
product that it sells to the consumer,
and the spectrum is not just
restricted to food. Softer cloths, sturdier wood,
hardier trees and shrubs,
and slower growing, greener grass are all
possibilities. These improved
products will impact everyone, and will be
everywhere. The impact is hazy,
but the effect is clear; they will improve not
only the profit of the
producer, but also the lives of the consumer. Genetic
altering will be a
powerful tool against disease, and disabilities. Every year
millions of
people die from a variety of diseases and disabilities that are
passed down
by genes. Cancer is one example of a disease that has been linked to
genes
and heredity. Many patients have a family history involving some type
of
cancer in the past. With the introduction of genetic engineering, there is
a
good chance that scientists will be able to locate genes that are prone
to
cancer and alter them so that the chance of getting cancer is greatly
reduced.
Cancer is not the only disease that this could be applied to
either. Almost any
disease, disorder, or disability has a future in genetic
engineering. Another
example is Down's syndrome, a syndrome that is passed
down through generations
by a mutated gene, and causes mental impairment.
Imagine if someday that mutated
gene could be removed from a family's future,
allowing their kids to lead normal
lives. There is no doubt that it would
improve the quality of life for these
kids who, then, would be normal healthy
children. Just the same, blindness,
diabetes, dwarfism, heart valve
deformities, Alzheimer's and many more
conditions can be avoided or even
eliminated by the use of genetic engineering.
The uses of genetic
altering in the medical field are exciting as well as
numerous, and it will
no doubt change the way we look at our health and the
health of our children.
Cloning, also, has great potential in improving the
lives of people. It has
potential, not only on the cellular level, but also on
the tissue and
organism level. The genetic engineering of cattle would be a
stepping stone
to a better, leaner beef. However once the leanest cow is
produced then
cloning can be introduced to produce the same lean and profitable
cow over
and over again. The same process could be applied to the cells of
tissues.
The future prosthetics might just be cultured in a lab from the tissue
of the
original limb, and re-attached to the patient for a perfect and normal
arm or
leg. This technology would improve the lifestyle of the patient more
greatly
than the simple silicon and metal prosthetics of today. Cloning could
also be
applied to the reproduction of vaccines or cures to diseases. If one
person
was to beat, or live through, a disease that is normally fatal,
then
scientist could find the gene that enabled him or her to do so, clone
it, and
create a vaccine or cure for other people with that disease. This
technology is
still out of reach for right now, but scientists are rapidly
approaching it, as
seen in the cloning of sheep. The cloning of vaccines and
limbs is still in the
future, but someday it will be a reality, and that
reality will see achievements
that will help people in areas that had been
hopeless before. There are every
day problems that could be solved with
genetic engineering. It is amazing when
you look at the possible potential of
gene altering in common everyday life. In
American, a larger percent of
the population is obese than in any other country,
and the health risks that
accompany obesity are serious; including high blood
pressure, heart attack,
depression, and many other serious issues. Lifestyles of
fatty foods and not
enough exercise put us at the top of the risk charts. Or is
it the Twinkiesâ
fault? Even with this lifestyle, our weight is still mainly
dependent upon
one main factor, our metabolism, or the speed at which our bodies
naturally
burn off calories and fat. So what makes a slimmer persons metabolism
faster,
and an obese persons metabolism slower? Well, exercise for one, speeds
up
metabolism, but a much bigger determinate is genes. The genes that
ancestors
pass down determines how fast your body will naturally burn off the
energy that
it is fed. That is where the potential is. If scientist locate
the gene for
metabolism control then the possibility for leaner, healthier
people can be
realized. If obesity is controlled then so will the health
risks that come along
with it. But what else could be controlled by genes?
Well, almost any physical
trait is controlled by genes, and could also be
altered. The embarrassment of
male pattern baldness could be a thing of the
past, the painful experience of
wisdom teeth could be avoided as well as
numerous others. If there is a history
of any unwanted trait then there is a
very good possibility that genetic
engineering can fix it. These cosmetic
changes may seem minor, but for many
people they are problems, and
eliminating them would greatly improve their
self-perception and the way they
live. The altering of genes will contribute a
major part in the well being
and happiness of people in the future. Genetic
engineering is an awesome
technological power that will be of great importance
to the common every day
person. It will improve, prevent, and eliminate aspects
of our lives to the
degree of inconceivability. Everything from products to
health will be
improved by altering genes, resulting in less disease, healthier
people,
better food, and easier lives. We still do not realize the full
potential of
genetic engineering and we are just starting to recognize the
possibilities.
With genetic engineering the future will be a great and exciting
time, one
where the next Mohammed Ali will not have Parkinson's Disease and
clones of
Evander Holyfield's ears will always be at ring side. Genetic
engineering
will change the world, people, and the lives of the people for the
better.
The possibilities have no
limit.