Biotechnologys Impact on Society Because of biotechnology, we are discovering more and more about our species.

We now know that we are made up of cells, DNA, and many other compounds that strangely connect with each other. How our body works and the many processes it helps function out are being understood and with technology constantly growing and expanding, our knowledge is becoming even more immense. The vaccines we use are also an outcome of biotechnology. By using the organisms that cause disease and viruses in smaller amounts that the body can handle, the body can become immune to deadly diseases like smallpox or hepatitis b. Long time ago, most people would die very young and most children didnt even live until adulthood but now, our average life expectancy has soared as we live much healthier lives without many deadly diseases. A new way of preventing diseases has popped up because of advances in biotechnology: gene therapy. Gene therapy consists of replacing a mutated gene with a healthy one, inactivating a mutated gene, or putting a new gene into the genome to help fight a disease. Gene therapy is still under research but it can help treat many incurable diseases already such as some cancers and many inherited diseases. Many trials were successful and many diseases were cured. The diseases before were incurable but with gene therapy, this now became untrue. With gene therapy continuously advancing, many more diseases would be able to be cured. In the years past, many people were wrongfully accused of a crime they did not do. Innocent people were put in jail and blamed for the deeds of someone else, but a new

discovery in science helped prevent this from happening. Now, crimes are much easier to trace to the criminal through analyzing DNA, and evidence can now be much more accurate. Using science in the court has led to many exonerations and easier prosecutions. Forensic scientists can now use unique fingerprints or pieces of hair to figure out the encrypted DNA code of it and can match it up with suspects. Blood and other bodily fluids may now also be examined with DNA testing. These result in innocent people being freed of suspicion and can lead on to justice being brought on to the right criminals quicker. With the discovery of the human genome by biotechnology, babies can be genetically engineered to have a specific gene or produce an organ identical to an organ of someone in need. For example, if a child is in need of a specific type of bone marrow because of a disease such as leukemia or breast cancer, the parent may produce another offspring with the same type of bone marrow needed by means of genetic engineering to make the offspring possess specific genes to possess that type of bone marrow. The chances without genetic engineering is extremely slim, and an offspring to be produced with the correct bone marrow might take too long of time for the child in need. Finding a donor with the correct type of bone marrow could take too long of a time also, and about seventy percent of people needing a bone marrow transplant do not receive one because of this reason and die. DNA also plays a huge role in the foods we consume. Animals, fruits, vegetables, or any organism we consume for food also has a genome that can be genetically engineered to benefit humans. These organisms have genes that have specific properties such as pest resistance or what nutrients are contained in them. Thousands of people are suffering

from malnutrition which can lead to illnesses and even blindness in some cases. More advanced uses of the knowledge of DNA in foods have included advances such as changing the genetic code of the most indulged grain of the world, rice, to produce more necessary Vitamin A to reduce the risks of blindness. With the biotechnology, even our food can be altered for our benefit. The amount of food we now have is also heavily dependent on the advancements of biotechnology. Many animals or crops that we consume for food have been bred by the genes they possess such as size of animals, the resistance to bugs of some crops, and their yields, for instance, hybrid corn. Hybrid corn has been specifically bred to have a higher yield than regular corn without the use of artificial chemicals. This is one of the examples of how our food supply has been increased tremendously with the use of science. The size of animals and the amounts of crops that are now available to us multiplied by many times over the course of years. Hunger is a big step closer to being stomped out because of biotechnology. Biotechnology has basically impacted everything in society. It I probably what has change our standard of living from decades ago to what we have now. It makes our everyday lives much easier with more safety and less concern of survival. Now, we dont need to worry about starving tomorrow or catching the plague spreading around but instead, we can live happily because of biotechnology.