One of the most significant strides in human development has been the revolution of DNA technology in the field of science. Deoxyribonucleic acid contains an organism’s genetic makeup which is passed on to them from their parents, and it holds the explanations for concepts such as disease, evolution and behavioral traits. In recent years, scientists have advanced DNA technology by discovering processes such as cloning, DNA fingerprinting, gene therapy and recombinant DNA technology (Infoplease, 2017).
Advances in the field have led to the creation of safe vaccines, insulin and growth hormones by using recombinant DNA technology. Unlike in the past when vaccines were made from a dormant form of the disease-causing organism which at times led to infection, DNA technology has allowed for scientists to only copy the outer shell of the organism. This is introduced into the body, and the immune system reacts to it without the danger of infection. Hepatitis B and malaria virus vaccines development by this method is underway for use soon (Infoplease, 2017).
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DNA from other species can be introduced into an organism to add desired traits. For example, luminescent genes from jellyfish have been added to mice and bacteria successfully. This can also be used to generate pharmaceutical products. For instance, some cows have been genetically engineered to produce human insulin in bulk in their milk. DNA microarray technology is used by scientists to study genomes in high resolution using nanotechnology. This can help identify if a person has certain genetic traits that increase their risk of contracting a particular disease. However, this technology is yet to be fully developed and is still under investigation (Net Industries, 2017).
DNA fingerprinting is useful in forensics and parentage testing. DNA sequences produced from the fragmentation of a long DNA strand are compared if there is variation due to inheritance, variable patterns can be generated which are used to analyze variation between two people by comparing their fingerprint fragments. DNA collected at a crime scene can be tested to identify a criminal which helps to boost security in our society (Net Industries, 2017).
Although there are many beneficial uses for genetic engineering, some of them raise ethical concerns in our society. Using embryonic stem cells is opposed by especially religious groups because it leads to the destruction of the embryo because according to them life begins at conception. Although this technology can help save lives through cloning organs, it is considered murder, as horrible as abortion (Hunt, 2008). Cloning which is producing an organism that is a genetic copy of another is controversial for various reasons. The most potent ones are that people consider cloning as playing God and that trials in animals prove the process to be unsafe. Cloned animals have exhibited deformities and uncontrolled aging and human cloning in legally banned in most parts of the world (Galdos, 2014). Gene therapy is used to repair defective genes that cause disorders. However, gene replacement is controversial as it is considered to be against God’s will by religious groups or an act of playing God (Hunt, 2008).
References
Galdos, F. (2014). Human Cloning: Unmasking the Controversy – Harvard Science Review. Retrieved October 11, 2017, from https://harvardsciencereview.com/2014/01/22/human-cloning-unmasking-the-controversy/
Hunt, S. Y. (2008). Genetics and Society | Learn Science at Scitable. Retrieved October 11, 2017, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genetics-and-society-11
Infoplease. (2017). Genetic Engineering: DNA Technology Applications. In Online Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, and Thesaurus | Infoplease . Retrieved October 11, 2017, from https://www.infoplease.com/science/biology/genetic-engineering-dna-technology-applications
Net Industries. (2017). DNA Technology - Genetic, Genes, Gene, and Sequence - JRank Articles. In Science Encyclopedia - JRank Articles . Retrieved October 11, 2017, from http://science.jrank.org/pages/2134/DNA-Technology.html
