Question

Our understanding of DNA and gene expression has dramatically increased over the last 50 years. Describe 2 positive impacts and 2 negative impacts that the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering has had in agriculture, medicine, and human health?

Answer 1

Positive impacts of genetic engineering:

• New products are created such as food with higher nutrition values, drugs that are more effective and safer

• Disease prevention (“correcting” the genetic mutation, or removing disease-causing gene)

Negative impacts of genetic engineering:

• irreversible side effects, for example resistance of bacteria or introduction of viruses in human cells

• abusing like change specific traits that are not connected with diseases, create human outcomes that are ethically questionable.