Controvercy Over Genetic Engineering - 782 Words

Genetic engineering is the use of various methods to manipulate the DNA of cells to change hereditary traits or produce biological products. The development of genetic engineering was discovered in 1968 by Swiss microbiologist Werner Arber. However, type II restriction enzymes, which are essential to genetic engineering for their ability to cleave a specific site within the DNA (as opposed to type I restriction enzymes, which cleave DNA at random sites), were not identified until 1969, when the American molecular biologist Hamilton O. Smith purified this enzyme. Genetic engineering is quite different from your traditional cross breeding, where genes can only be exchanged between closely related species. As where in genetic engineering you can insert genes into two completely different species. Worldwide there are nearly 400 million acres of farmland that grow genetically engineered crops. These crops consist of cotton, corn, soybean, and rice. Over 60 percent of all processed foods purchased by U.S. consumers are manufactured with genetically engineered ingredients. Scientist have noticed that species are easily crossed using this technology. There are many good outcomes with this technology, as well as bad outcomes. Due to this there are a great deal of controversy, concern, and debate. My stance on genetic engineering is that I am against it! Although genetic engineering has been going on and used for the past thirty years, it has just recently begun to cause