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Article Summary
Unit: Genetics
Title: Genetic Engineering--The Eradication of Global Hunger
Source: SIRS
URL: ProQuest :: SIRS Issues Researcher ~ Genetic Engineering--The Eradication of
Global Hunger
Date Published: March 25, 2023

After reading the article, Genetic Engineering--The Eradication of Global Hunger, I can
conclude that the main idea of this article is that genetic engineering has its advantages as well as
its disadvantages; raising many questions and concerns. Positively, genetic engineering is put to
use for many advantages such as, to revolutionize medicine and agriculture, however is also used
in a manner in which raises moral and ethical concerns.

Genetic engineering is a process that involves laboratory technologies that deliberately

manipulate genetic material, for example DNA, to alter the characteristics of living organisms.
With that being said, genetic engineering has been proven to have both its advantages and its
disadvantages. To start, genetic engineering has the potential to revolutionize medicine and
agriculture but with that, is raising many concerns morally and ethically. To expand on the idea
that genetic engineering is being used effectively for reasons such as revolutionizing medicine; it
can be used to treat genetic diseases and disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, which is a disease with
no known cure. Also medicine related, genetic engineering can also be used for the development
of medical treatments, such as potential cancer treatments that will target specific genetic
mutations. In addition, genetic engineering is also being put to use improving agriculture. These
technologies can do things such as breeding crops that result in being more resistant to pests and
produce higher yields; these factors all contribute to reducing the need for harmful chemicals and
pesticides as well as potential food shortages. On the other hand, despite the positive outcomes
genetic engineering can bring to the table, it also raises many ethical and moral concerns.
Morally, one of the main concerns it raises is that it can be used for eugenic purposes;
manipulating genes and selecting traits to make a “perfect human”, which people deem as a form
of discrimination against people who do not have access to these technologies. Ethically, people
have a concern that genetic engineering is raising consent issues. With that being said, since
these technologies can modify embryos to prevent further genetic disorders, it also raises
questions as to if it is okay to alter an individual's genetic makeup without their consent.
Furthermore, despite the positive outcomes genetic engineering can bring to the world of
agriculture, it can also bring unintended consequences as well, such disrupting ecosystems. In
conclusion, genetic engineering is a very controversial issue that although has many benefits can
also raise many questions and concerns as well.
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Personally, I found this article to be interesting because I had little to no knowledge about what
genetic engineering truly was beforehand. With that being said, due to my lack of knowledge, I
had no opinion on it or whether I saw it as an advantage or disadvantage to society. Now, after
reading the article I feel as though I have an in depth understanding of genetic engineering. I find
it amazing knowing nowadays the powers that technologies hold and how much they can alter
the world. In addition, I also enjoyed this article because I found that it was an easier read and I
could genuinely understand what was being discussed. Whereas, in my opinion sometimes I find
science-related articles can be more on the difficult side to understand, due to the vocabulary
used or even how they are written.

This article, Genetic Engineering--The Eradication of Global Hunger, greatly relates to the topic
of genetic material in the genetics unit since genetic material the overall idea that every organism
carries genetic information that follows a series of being passed from one generation to the next.
However, genetic engineering is a way of disrupting or altering that genetic material. In the
genetics unit we learn about how every individual's DNA makes up who they are, but genetic
engineering is a way to manipulate that said DNA; which ties this article together with the
genetics unit of study.