Ethical Implications of Genetically Modified Organisms
Since the dawn of time, humans have been manipulating the environment around them in order to create a greater quality of living. Domestication in dogs, cross-breeding of fruits and vegetables, and mass breeding of cattle are just a couple of many examples of the way in which humans have used genetic manipulation to make their lives better. With advancements in science, this process has become much more direct; rather than breeding the species over thousands of years to alter their genetic make-up, scientists now have the capability to directly modify the genetic information of almost any organism. These newly created organisms are typically referred to as GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms. GMOs have incredible potential to drastically influence the modern world, but are also riddled with speculation and controversy due to the ethical implications that arise when manipulating nature.
To fully understand the controversy of GMOs, it is important to first understand exactly what they are and what role they play in the world today. Genetically modified organisms can be defined as organisms “that have one or more ‘foreign’ genes incorporated into their genomes” (Reilly 158). The foreign genes will often come from bacteria, viruses, animals, or even humans. By altering the genome, the foreign gene will create a new trait in the organism. This process began in the 1970s, and was first implemented in the 1990s. There are many applications of this technology, including “increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the world’s growing population” (Phillips). These are the most obvious benefits of GMOs; they enhance the quality living of both the producer and the consumer. The producers are able to more effectively protect their crops while simultaneously creating a greater yield per harvest. This allows more food to be produced at a lower cost to the consumer. Also, these crops can be manipulated to have greater nutritional value. Food manipulation is not the only way that GMOs can be used to benefit society. A more recent application of GMOs is the creation of edible vaccines that can be created in mass quantities. Although modern vaccines have proved to be very effective, not everybody has access to them either due to price or geographic inconvenience. Vaccines have reached nearly 80% of the world’s infants, but the other 20% “accounts for about two million unnecessary deaths each year, especially in the most remote and impoverished parts of the globe” (Langridge).
With advancements in transgenic engineering, it is possible to create cheap and readily available vaccines that the entire world will have access to. The plants would be able to be grown locally in mass quantities, without having to genetically modify each plant. Once one plant has been introduced to the foreign gene, the offspring of that plant will contain copies of the gene that was introduced to the parent plant. This will allow the plant to be grown like any other plant, but it will contain the vaccine that can simply be ingested to take effect. For every current application of GMOs, there are many more potential applications that have yet to be implemented or discovered. GMOs are relatively new and are at the forefront of what can be described as “the largest biological experiment humanity has ever entered into” (Chapela). With new discoveries often comes doubt and speculation, and this holds very true in the GMO debate.
Works Cited
Reilly, Philip R. Abraham Lincoln’s DNA and Other Adventures in Genetics. Cold Spring Harbor: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2000.
Phillips, Theresa, MD. “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology.” Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
Langridge, William H.R. “Edible Vaccines.” Encyclopedia of Genetics, Genomics, Proteomics and Informatics (2008): 582. Scientific American, Sept. 2000. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
“A New Way to Feed the World.” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 09 Aug. 2003. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
