Question

Genetic engineering can be used to create more productive strains of farm animals. By adding genes to an animal’s DNA, the animal can be made to produce milk or meat containing vital nutrients that would not be found naturally in those products. This provides a greater amount of nutrients per serving of milk or meat. Do you think that this type of genetic engineering should be pursued? Explain your answer. What are some possible impacts (positive and negative) of this type of genetic engineering on individuals, society, and the environment?

Answer 1

Genetic engineering is the direct treatment of an organism’s genome using biotechnology. It is a set of technologies used to alter the genetic makeup of cells, together with the transport of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved organisms. An example would be to protect plant from insect damage, it can be made into a transgenic plant. Transgenic plant are called genetically modified organisms (GMO) because there is a gene added or removed in the original plant to obtain a set of characteristic such as insect damage.