Jae+Woo+G10

 **  Genetically Modified Humans ** By: Jae Woo Park G10

 Genetic engineering on the surface level will bring a whole new world of benefits to the medical world. Parents may one day be able to choose the appearance, sex and even the personality of their future children. However since it’s a new area we don’t fully understand yet, there are a number of negative implications that humans will face if this radical science is exploited. Now, lets see what 'Genetic modification' means.  Genetic modification is a technology that is being used to change the genetic makeup of cells and to move genes across the species limitations to produce novel organisms. Genes are also the chemical blueprints that find the organism’s trait and moving genes from one organism to other transfers those traits. Through genetic engineering, organisms are given new combinations of traits that do not occur in nature. But then scientifically the Genetic modification occurs in a variety of ways. Basically, genetic engineering is the term used when scientists mix and match features among irrelevant living beings by shifting genes from once creature to another, that being the basic of the Gm modification (Genetically Modified Humans: For what and for whom?, 2007). Thus, genetic engineering provides the ability to add or delete particular genes within a living cell nucleus. This technique is now divided into two distinct types: **somatic cell manipulation and germline cell manipulation** (Cummins, 2001). **  Firstly, somatic manipulation, which is widely accepted from the government, is the technique that changes the genetic makeup of particular body cells that comprise the organs and tissues like
 *  What is 'Genetic modification (GM) '? **
 *  How would it be done and in what cases might this be justified?



  Figure 1: How it works (Human cloning and genetic modification, 2003)  lungs, brains, and bones of a certain person (Hayes, 2000). This skill is used in a variety of ways to cure such diseases. For instance, diseases like cystic fibrosis, which is a hereditary disease that affects the lungs as well as digestive system, may be treated by inserting a feasible gene into malfunctioning lung cells (Hayes, 2000). Alternatives in somatic genes don’t change DNA that inherits to the next generation and therefore are used in clinical triads (Massey, 2001). Secondly, germline genetic manipulation changes the sex cells like sperms, eggs, or germ cells and hence passes the parental genes to the next generation (Cummins, 2001). Therefore, if both parents are color blind and desire to not translate into their next generation, they can change their **X-chromosomes**. This does not only affect the children a person might have, in fact, all succeeding generations will be influenced by it. Hence, this is affecting the natural human inheritance and therefore ‘Genetic engineering’ is a way of producing organisms which have genotypes best suited for a particular function. In the past man has used selective breeding to achieve this and this was done by choosing only his most suitable animals and plants for breeding.  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> Secondly, due to the fact that this germline manipulation is not totally investigated and proved scientifically, those genetically modified humans can’t be reliable. They might have other factors that none of the humans have had before. For instance, in a process of inserting new genes to one upcoming offspring, it is possible to have a combination between those with other unknown genetic molecules, which can result in different species. Getting worse, if those genetic engineered humans are produced very frequently in an attempt to manufacture some talented features, even more than natural humans, they will have lots of superiors compared to those natural humans. According to a book called “Remaking Eden: How Cloning and Beyong will change the human family” by Lee Silver, he insisted that “Overtime, society will segregate into ‘Genrich’ who control the Economy, the media, and the knowledge industry, and the “Natural,” who “work as low paid service providers or as laborers.” (Hayes, 2000). Consequently, it is a problem that those GM humans cause significant and devastating effect on its society: it magnifies the impact of unforeseen futures. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> <span style="color: rgb(100, 49, 246)"> <span style="color: rgb(100, 49, 246)"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림">In spite of those advantages this technique offers, there are lots of limitations and disadvantages that cause arguments among people. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림">Firstly, in an ethical point of view, the germline manipulation is causing a devastating meaning in human dignity and individuality. If the futile are manufactured by scientists before they are born, can this be said as real natural humans? As a common fact, human beings are natural, which are one species of animals. Their creation has been existed because of natural process called ‘sex’, in which two haploid cells (sperms and eggs) are combined to form a diploid cell, and overall creating an offspring (Freudenrich, 2007). However, if the process of changing the genes of subsequent generation is preceded, this comes to the problem of individuality. Rather than natural birth from sex, this process is constructed by human beings. Then this is the greatest concern of all because it means that they are man-made thing. Then one could surely ask the difference between genetic engineering humans and manufactured robots. According to this process, it doesn’t have a big comparison. As with any other man-made thing, the designer stands above its design, not as an equal but as a superior, transcending it by his will and creative process-the cloned child will be dehumanized (Hayes, 2000). <span style="color: rgb(100, 49, 246)">
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> What are the advantage and disadvantage? **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> What are the one-world issues? **

<span style="color: rgb(100, 49, 246)"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> Rather than ethical arguments, there are lots of debates in social aspect which are very relevant in ethical point of view. As mentioned previously, if consequent generations are manufactured by human beings, there will be lots of discrimination. Still nowadays, there is prejudice toward colored-people like blacks. For instance, the Ku Klux Klan, is a organization that insists white people are the gods and hence other than those groups should go extinct. According to this idea, the world in nowadays is still in lots of discrimination among different races. However, if those GM humans become accepted and many people are born within that process, the prejudice will get much worse compared to anytime of human centuries. It is definitely possible for some people to organize groups like KKK and starts killing and damaging those genetic engineered humans. Just like the Ku Klux Klan, they will insist genetically engineered humans are robots and should not exist in the human planet. Furthermore, those GM humans can be treated very differently among others and consequently causes distinction between natural human and manufactured humans <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34)"> <span style="color: rgb(100, 49, 246)"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> The field of human genetic engineering is developing and changing at a gigantic speed. With these changes come several benefits and risks. The disadvantages and limitations of its genetic engineering can be really tremendous trends in human beings. Those must have to be weighed in light of their social, spiritual, economical, and ethical perspectives. The potential power of human genetic engineering comes with great responsibility. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 굴림"> WORK CITED

Cummins, Joe. "Genetically Modified Humans: for What and for Whom?" __Institude of Science in Society__. ISIS. Accessed 25 Nov. 2007 <[|http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMhumans.php>.] Unknown. "What is Genetic Engineering?" __Ucsusa__. 2008. Union of Concerned Scientists. 20 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/what-is-genetic-engineering.html>.] Unknown. "Genetic Engineering." __Bbc__. 2008. 21 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/biology/biotechnology/reprogramming_microbes_rev2.shtml>.] Massey, Rachel. "Genetically Engineering Humans." __Organic Consumers Association__. 15 Mar. 2001. Organic Consumers Association. 5 Dec. 2007 <[|http://www.organicconsumers.org/patent/gehuman.cfm>.] “What are the benefits of genetic engineering humans?” __All About popular issues.__ Accessed 25 Nov. 2007 < http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/benefits-of-human-genetic-engineering-faq.htm >

Hayes, Richard. “The politics of genetically modified humans.” __Loka Alert.__ May. 2000. Accessed 25 Nov. 2007 < http://www.loka.org/alerts/loka.7.2.txt > "What are the Dangers?" __Safe-Food__. 2001. 21 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.safe-food.org/-issue/dangers.html>.]

Bohlin, Dr R. "Human Genetic Engineering." __Leaderu__. 14 July 2004. 21 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/humgeneng.html>.]

<span style="color: rgb(232, 38, 38)">__**Mr. Covington's Comments**__

**<span style="color: rgb(232, 38, 38)">-Does not really look like a webpage.. -Only 1 one-world topic

Crit A: 4 Crit B: 4 **