Cloning and Genetic Engineering

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Cloning and Genetic Engineering

Advantages

  • Cloning cattle can produce herds of cattle with useful characteristics.
  • Adult cell cloning may be used to make copies of the best animals, e.g race horses.
  • If a person has a faulty gene they may have a genetic disorder.  If the correct gene can be transferred to the person they could be cured.
  • Several medical drugs have been produced by genetic engineering, such as insulin and antibodies.
  • GM crops include ones which are resistant to herbicides or to insects.

Disadvantages

  • GM crops have a bigger yield, but farmers have to buy new GM seed every year because the crops are infertile.
  • Some people are concerned about accidentally introducing genes into wild flower populations.
  • Insects which are not pests may be affected by GM crops.
  • Many people worry about the effect of eating GM crops on human health.
  • Many people argue about whether or not cloning and genetic engineering are ethical.  What will be the long term effects? Will we create new organisms that we know nothing about?  Are these processes ethically correct?

Evaluation

There are many advantages and disadvantages to Cloning and genetic engineering although it could help improve cattle and crops it is high risk as it could also be damaging to surrounding plants and some people raise the issue that if we start doing this to animals eventually we will stat cloning humans or removing genes we don't like.

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