Genetic Engineering On Humans
ENGLISH 21003: Writing for the Sciences
Professor Anna Voisard
Tomya Williams, Johana Morales, Daniel Gallardo
22nd March, 2023

Abstract
With new technology evolving everyday, many scientists have found ways to collect DNA and create many things with that DNA, that could also possibly help us. That is how Genetic
Engineering has been recently introduced to this world. In this literature review, we will be
discussing more about genetic engineering, more specifically, genetic engineering in humans. We will be explaining the purpose of genetic engineering and the process of how it’s done. We will also talk about the advantages as well as the disadvantages of genetic modification being applied to the human genome. Finally, we will discuss the regulations and many laws that have been made in response to this process.

Introduction
Genetic Engineering, which is known as Recombinant DNA technology, is a rapidly
growing field in which the process is still very new to many people in today’s world. It is when the genes of a living organism are being collected and changed to a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) with a new and different genotype. The process is a bit complicated, but there aren’t many steps. First you need a small piece of DNA, that is called a plasmid, to be taken out from a bacterial cell. After that is done, a section will be cut out from the plasmid by restriction enzymes. Then you will cut the desired gene that will be used in the cloning process from the genome by using the restriction enzymes. Next, the desired gene from step three will be put in the plasmid, which is also known as the vector. Then the plasmid that is now genetically engineered will be placed in the target organism while it’s at the early stage of development, or any other organism that is also at an early stage of development. Finally after all this is done, the organism will begin to develop the desired characters that were given from the desired gene which then the desired gene will now be a part of all the target organisms genome that is inside the cells. The purpose of genetic engineering goes back to prehistoric times. Back then, people used selective breeding as a way to have better food and livestock. Now, it’s also used on humans to prevent and find cures to many different genetic diseases and disorders. It’s also even used to create genetically engineered babies, basically building your own child. With this new technology evolving everyday, many don’t really know the lasting effects that genetic engineering could have on humans and how it may influence laws around the world, whether it’s positive or negative.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering
We know genetic engineering includes the manipulation of genes, because of this it can be used to alter genetic makeup improving quality of life for the future generation. If we continue on this jjourney of developing this technology, we can gain many advantages. It can be used to prevent the transfer of diseases to offspring and help couples with fertility issues to produce healthy offspring.(Baird, S. L. (2007).)Genetic diseases such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and cancer, can be removed from the embryo allowing healthy babies to be born. Diseases such as cystic fibrosis can reduce a person’s lifespan because of the lung complications the disease causes in an individual’s body. The parents will also spend a lot of money to get the necessary medication and treatment needed for this disease.Using genetic engineering will increase that child’s chances of living a longer life and reduce financial strain on parents. Genetic engineering can be used for sex selection. By using genetic engineering, couples are able to balance the gender ratio in the family, preventing one gender from overpowering the other. Gender selection will also allow the couple to have their desired gender without the mother having to go through multiple births to achieve it as this may be distressing on her physical and mental health. Though sex selection is seen by some as a means of intensifying the already rampant sexist values of society other people argue it is just a means of having a balanced family structure and not about gender preferences the couple may have ( Lemke, T., & Rüppel, J. (2019)).
We do not know every aspect of this technology. There are many advantages to this technology but it is a fairly new technique which means there are many things that can go wrong during the procedure. If studies relating to genetic engineering are furthered the rate of healthier children will increase along with discrimination towards those born with disabilities. This technology will not be available to everyone, only the rich will have the privileges to use it. Poor people will not have the option to get rid of these genetic diseases. This creates a larger gap in societal classes and increased discrimination against people born with disabilities. (Das, J., Dey, P., & Banerjee, P. (2017). ). According to Baird, S. L. (2007) ‘There is always the looming shadow of eugenics’ Eugenics involves selecting the desirable heritable traits. This may increase genetic preferences.
Obsession with genetic preferences may lead to favoritism and children being shunned because they may not fit the preferences. Genes work together allowing our body to function and carry out our daily tasks. During the process of Genetic engineering, genes are disrupted. Changing one gene may obstruct parts or the entire system the body has created. This could lead to cell damage which could be the start of multiple diseases such Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.(Das, J., Dey, P., & Banerjee, P). During the process of choosing and getting healthy embryos to be born embryos may be terminated. Some people think this practice is unethical. This is likely due to the fact that some people believe life begins at conception and that the termination of embryos is murder.(Baird, S.L.(2007)).Eliminating the embryos that are undesirable, some believe genetic engineering is used to ‘play God’.

Ethics and Effect on Implementation of Regulations
Ethics has always played a role in society throughout history in determining laws, policies, and many other aspects in society that have affected us in our everyday lives. Ethics most
importantly has been a huge factor in influencing laws and regulations being implemented
throughout the world in regards to the rapidly growing field of genetic engineering on humans. Several new and more precise gene-editing technologies have been developed, which makes replacing or getting rid of negative DNA sequences much easier to control which would greatly benefit the human population; health wise and the quality of life, but with that the debate on the implications of the intentional tampering of the human germline has arisen once again which had been scorned back in the 1990’s. The ethical debate on the tampering of human germlines using gene editing technology has already caused more then 40 jurisdictions to enact laws and regulations to try and curb the further experimentation into this field. Although, like many laws and regulations that have been made throughout time, they are constantly changed and modified to try and keep up with new technologies and other such variables that would make them moot, especially nowadays where many legal loopholes have been used to circumvent these laws and regulations. Actions have been taken to prevent the action or attempt of giving birth to an embryo or reproductive cells that have been genetically modified. The ethical dilemma that has been brought up in regards to this issue has even caused the General Assembly to adopt the U.N.’s declaration on human cloning, that says,”General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on Human Cloning13, which, among other prohibitions (e.g., human reproductive cloning), called for member states “to adopt the measures necessary to prohibit the application of genetic engineering techniques that may become contrary to human dignity”Isasi, Rosario, Knoppers, Bartha M, May 2015. The effect of ethics on laws and regulations in regards to genetic engineering on humans have been widespread and has impacted the enactment of said laws and regulations. creation of genetically modified organisms. It did this by implementing,” Regulation on the Biosafety Management of Pathogenic Microbiology laboratories.”

Conclusion
Genetic engineering is a field with so many promising opportunities. With technology
being more advanced now then it was before, the future can be expected to have so many new and different options that were probably impossible back then. We can have a cure to disease that has no cure at all. We can even stop diseases before they become a major threat to the world. There are obviously so many advantages as well as disadvantages to this new technology. Many things could go wrong with this technology, being that genetic engineering is still very new to scientists. Many defects could happen while this procedure is being used. It could cause chaos if many people aren’t able to afford this new technology.
Work cited
● Baird, S. L. (2007). Designer Babies: Eugenics Repackaged or Consumer Options?
(Cover story). Technology Teacher, 66(7), 12–16.
● Lemke, T., & Rüppel, J. (2019). Social dimensions of preimplantation genetic
diagnosis: a literature review. New Genetics & Society, 38(1), 80–112.
https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1080/14636778.2018.1549983
● Das, J., Dey, P., & Banerjee, P. (2017). Redesigning nature: to be or not to be?
Current Science, 112(7), 1346–1350. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24912677
● MURRAY, T. H. (1985). Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering. Social Research,
52(3), 471–489. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40970384
● EBSCOhost (cuny.edu) – Oversight of human inheritable genome modification.
● https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09918.9 – Chinese Biosafety Laws and
Regulations, Including Matters of Biosecurity and Oversight of Genetic Engineering
Activities
● EBSCOhost (cuny.edu) –
● Libguides: Sharing database links: JSTOR links. JSTOR Links – Sharing Database
Links – LibGuides at City College Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/sharingdblinks/JSTORlinks
Genetic Enhancement in Humans (cuny.edu)
●
https://www-jstor-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/stable/pdf/41378889.pdf?refreqid=
excelsior%3A1966fc0a7b80e4aca4118d1eb056f54e&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_
gsv2%2Fcontrol&origin=&initiator=. JSTOR Links – Sharing Database Links –
LibGuides at City College Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/sharingdblinks/JSTORlinks Genetic engineering (cuny.edu