Bioengineering and Genetically Modified Organisms
U10A1 Bioengineering and Genetically Modified Organisms The Human genome is known to be the sequencing of about twenty thousand five hundred thousand genes that make up our human DNA, or the building block that tells our cells what to do. The government created project that is named the Human Genome Project started in 1990’s, and is trying to pick apart at the three billion chemical base pairs in a DNA strand. The full set of the information present in the form of the genes in living organism then forms its genome.
Each individual person has twenty three pairs of chromosomes by having the DNA of ours double helix in each, all being different from the other person. The Project is a worldwide project with the efforts and with the goal to study and analyze the structure of human DNA by determining the location of the estimated one hundred thousand human genes. Inner twined with this effort, is a set of model organisms that will be studied to provide the compared/contrasted information necessary to fulfill the understanding of the function of the human genome.
The Human Genome Project has an abundance of goals to set. The main goal is identifying all of the 100,000 genes in human DNA. Second, to determine the sequence or flow of three billion chemical base pairs those make up our human genomes. All this information must be stored in a database to be credible documentation. As a result of this project, it is said to be predicted that vast increases in technology and biology molecular world will indeed occur whether we like it or not. It was based in speculation that the project will possibly take two decades to finish studying.
Some scientist did not even think it could be done because the technology was not ready for this specific type of drawn out project. From my article read is said to that “The Human Genome Project (HGP) was the international, collaborative research program whose goal was the complete mapping and understanding of all the genes of human beings. All our genes together are known as our “genome. “(What was the Human Genome Project? December 13, 2010). Multiple issues have come along since the first concept for this genome project was introduced to the medical field.
Never before has mankind become faced with such issues in one project. These issues include the topics as biotechnology, ethical issues, social and individual implications, the health and medical care, and the scientific research needed. Also from the article I found “The hereditary material of all multi-cellular organisms is the famous double helix of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which contains all of our genes. DNA, in turn, is made up of four chemical bases, pairs of which form the “rungs” of the twisted, ladder-shaped DNA molecules.
All genes are made up of stretches of these four bases, arranged in different ways and in different lengths. ”(What was the Human Genome Project? December 13, 2010). And since it is costly to most people how can it help treat humans who can afford it? So it won’t benefit anyone for many years. Overall, with so many references to research there are many different opinions on the issue. In our textbook it has the same information why this project was introduced for further use. One thing that struck me is the benefits verses the cons when it is usable to study on humans.
I would like to know more from what the independent experts think about bioengineering and the resources they would use to form an opinion. And life is such a beautiful thing why do we want to change things that make us so equine. What if they will try to change looks and eye color in the future? And it states in our text that “DNA can be damaged by certain chemicals, ionizing radiation, and ultra violet light. The new structure distorts the affected DNA molecule in a way that prevents effective DNA repair”. (Starr C, McMillan B. , Human Biology; Ch. 21 pg. 410). This is known as mapping with genes.
So really is the risk greater than the benefits? I am a happy individual just the way I am. If something happened to my baby that could be prevented or altered it would be a hard choice to make with changing what I gave him to become equine. The end result will happen whether we approve or not we need to be informed when new studies or way is introduced. References- An Overview of the Human Genome Project; What was the Human Genome Project? : December 13, 2010 National Human Genome Research Institute National institute of health Gnome. gov Human Biology: Cecie Starr; McMillan Beverly; Chapter 21 pgs. 407-428
