Do you think it is right to alter the genetic mutation of plants if the scientists are using genes that are already there but randomly rearranging them until they come up with something "better"? Or do you think it is wrong to alter nature with the chance that something could go wrong?
2007-10-05 10:52:39 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
It's not so much a matter of what can go wrong, but if these mutations are in the food we eat I am concerned it will be harmful. A genetically altered tomato has a different chemical make up than a natural tomato. I believe, any genetically altered foods introduced into the general public should be 'tracked' for abnormalities it causes in humans.
2007-10-05 11:03:59 · answer #1 · answered by WARREN 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In research and science things do go wrong. You just never know about it. We are aware of those that do. Like Round Up ready corn. Is there something wrong with giving a plant the ability to survive a herbicide? No. There maybe a problem with the rates of application of herbicides in Round Up ready corn. What's to prevent the person from using a higher concentration of herbicides in hopes of obtaining better weed control? Not much.
Our food crops have been altered for a long long time. Before genetic engineering there was hybridization. Many corn hybrids have been produced since the 50's. Obviously not all those hybrids have worked out all that well. So, something did go wrong.
2007-10-05 18:12:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Please understand that genetic engineering is not done "At Random." Geneticists work very carefully and all genetic alterations are done with specific goals in mind. We have a clear enough picture of what genetic elements need to be changed to achieve a certain goal that it is possible to target just the specific changes required.
If someone told you "scientists" are "randomly rearranging" genetic factors, you have been misled.
Certainly it would be wrong to alter nature "randomly," but that is not what genetic engineers do.
So relax. We are safe...
2007-10-06 19:31:51 · answer #3 · answered by aviophage 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, you're right. It's wrong to alter all those natural things to make medicines that save lives, create prosthetics that help people live longer, and have more normal lives. But we kinda blew that when we decided we didn't like being cavemen anymore and started building stuff several thousand years ago. And then we still didn't know enough to stop, and kept discovering more, and changing more things.
Ah, for the good old days, hiding in the cave and dying at the ripe old age of 28.
2007-10-05 18:40:27 · answer #4 · answered by Marc X 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Consider the fact that for nearly all of our food, animal and plant, most of us would not recognize the original. We have already altered them all wildly beyond what we started with. The results seem fine to me. Between selective breeding programs taking decades, or genetic manipulation speeding it up, I dont see much difference.
2007-10-09 11:53:26 · answer #5 · answered by Gandalf Parker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it is WRONG just because we can do something doesn't mean we should
2007-10-05 18:01:36 · answer #6 · answered by Eric M 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋