Question

PLEASE HELP!!!!

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

The extensive study on DNA has helped the area of Biotechnology and genetic engineering with some negative impacts too.

Positive impacts include-

1. Specific traits can be developed in agriculture and animal husbandry. With the advanced studies in genetic engineering, animals can be modified to produce more milk and grow more muscle tissue. Genetically modified foods can be developed with specific traits like the presence of vitamin A in the golden rice, Bt cotton resistant to bollworms.

2. Studies on DNA has also helped in the area of gene therapy and cancer by introducing healthy genes to carry out the functions of the defective genes. It has also resulted in the production of human insulin and products like clotting factors VII for hemophilia, interferons for cancer and others.

Negative impacts include-

1. Genetic engineering can cause loss of biodiversity by killing the insects due to the toxins produced by the genetically modified crops. It can also result in the development of superweeds when such genetically modified crops cross breed with weeds.

2. Processes like cloning can result in cell mutation causing aggressive genetic diseases in humans. It can also decrease the gene diversity.

Answer 2

Ans.

Genetic engineering involves techniques manipulation or modification of genetic material of organisms by using biotechnology. It is used in fields of agriculture, human health or medicine, and environment. There are various positive and negative impacts of using biotechnology and genetic engineering.

Positive impacts include 'production of crop production with higher yields and higher nutrients' and 'development of various drugs and gene therapy.'

Negative impacts include development of antibiotic resistant species of pathogens to minimize the effects of new medicines and accumulation of toxic chemicals in plants, which are used for higher crop production.