How does genetic engineering benefit us?

Genetic engineering benefits society by allowing access to goods and services that would not be available without this technology. Although you will find many definitions of genetic engineering, one that is widely accepted is simply the manipulation of genetic material (DNA). This process has been used in many industries and has impacted many goods and services. As the previous educator mentioned, well-known examples include healthcare and agriculture. A good example of genetic engineering in the healthcare setting is insulin. People who are diagnosed with Type I Diabetes are unable to produce insulin. The insulin that they are prescribed is actually a protein produced by bacteria. Scientists modified, or engineered, the insulin so that it would be functional in humans. The benefit of this is life-saving treatment for humans with otherwise untreatable diseases.
Genetic diversity is critical to survival for many species. Genetic modifications over time help species to be able to protect themselves in a variety of climates or events. Immune systems are a good example of this. Humans have many antibodies which fight off many different kinds of diseases. If we were only immune to one type of disease, we could get sick much more frequently. Many types of infectious agents, viruses in particular, are able to mutate and become new types of infections. Genetic engineering has allowed us to develop vaccines against viruses as they have changed over time. Each year, the Center for Disease Control in the United States develops a flu vaccine based on its prediction of the most common strand(s) of influenza. This is a real-time genetically engineered agent to protect us from viral infections.
Agriculture is related to both the plants’ genetic components and the environment in which the plants live. Over time, humans have developed ways to control plants’ environments through housing and irrigation systems. We’ve also developed ways to provide nutrients and protection to plants. Genetic engineering allows us to better the plants’ genetic traits as well. Vegetables can be modified to have less seeds or have more flesh, which allows them to be better suited for farmers’ and consumers’ needs.
Genetic engineering has been utilized in these avenues for decades. More recently, technology has enabled us to alter mammalian genetic material. Currently, there are clinical trials for progressive eye degeneration where disrupted genes within the retina are modified. While this technology is not widely accessible today, its potential raises many ethical issues. Questions are raised as to what types of interventions are appropriate and who has access to these interventions. The rate at which technological advances are developed is much faster than the rate at which society can address the ethical dilemmas with which those advances come.


As with most emerging medical science, there are benefits and disadvantages to genetic engineering. One definite benefit to genetic engineering is the possibility to treat and cure various genetic disorders. This is often called "gene therapy." The concept is surprisingly simple. A genetic disorder is a disorder that a person is born with because of a defective gene. Genetic engineering and gene therapy seek to repair or even replace the defective gene thereby ridding the person of the disorder. Scientists have had success with this kind of therapy with several autoimmune and heart diseases. A second benefit of genetic engineering that has been used for quite some time is in the agricultural industry. Genetic engineering can be used to increase the fitness levels of plant species. It might be creating plants that do better with less water, less sunlight, or simply are more efficient at photosynthesis. Plants can also be engineered to be all-around hardier. This means the plant will be subjected to fewer herbicides and pesticides. A third benefit of genetic engineering has been to help with the overall production of various vaccines.
https://biologywise.com/benefits-of-genetic-engineering

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9h74qt/revision/3

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