Genetic Engineering - Essay Example

As an initial matter it is necessary to define what is meant by genetic engineering. This process is known by many terms, such as genetic engineering, genetic modification, and the splicing of genes. Generally speaking, genetic engineering is the manipulation of genes outside of the reproductive process. It is more accurate to refer to this type of endeavor as a collective set of processes; indeed, as stated by the Union of Concerned Scientists, “genetic engineering refers to a set of technologies that are being used to change the genetic makeup of cells and move genes across species boundaries to produce novel organisms.

The techniques involve highly sophisticated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals” (“What is Genetic Engineering?”, 2005: np). In short, genetic engineering is comprised of a wide array of separate processes designed to manipulate genes for specific purposes. Genes determine an organism’s traits and characteristics. These processes, therefore, refer to the transfer and the manipulation of genes in an effort to create new traits, to emphasize certain traits, and to eliminate negative traits.

These types of changes do not occur naturally; quite the contrary, they are created by human beings. These processes can be broken down into separate sub-processes of isolating a gene, manipulating that gene, and the reintroduction of new DNA into a cell in order to generate new traits. In sum, genetic engineering is the manipulation of the basic building blocks of an organism in order to create a new organism or an organism with particular traits. The designs transmitted through reproduction can thereby be studied and changed to accomplish a variety of purposes.

This is, to be sure, an area which has generated much enthusiasm and much fear. The excitement generated by advances in genetic engineering is pervasive. Indeed, as stated by Curran, genetic engineering raises issues of