What the Genome Revolution Could Mean for Me and the Rio Grande Valley :: Argumentative Persuasive Biology Essays

What the Genome Revolution Could Mean for Me and the Rio Grande Valley With technology advancing more quickly than even our own minds can comprehend, the effects of these advancements cannot be measured in our time, as they are just beginning to reveal themselves. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of biotechnology, where researchers are changing the way people look at themselves as individuals with imperfections. The newly mapped human gene sequence provides scientists with the tools needed to manipulate, 'fix', or alter the human genetic code to create a person with any specifications desired in a human. Just the idea of a person engineered to specific criteria boggles the mind with questions about the implications on society, not to mention the unforeseen consequences that could lurk in the nearby future. In a world as populous as today's, the sense of self, rooted within each person, becomes more important than ever. As time passes with more hi-tech advancements, people will have to deal with the outcomes of the human genome project, some of which can be investigated before work begins on implementing research into everyday healthcare and others that still wait to be stumbled upon. The first problem includes the laws of all types, including those that have yet to be passed concerning the use of DNA in altering negative characteristics and adding favorable ones. First, developers must explore the ethical law that asks whether it is morally correct to change what it is that makes us people: the fact that we are all different and have flaws, and maybe these should be cherished rather than changed. If everyone was the same, we would become like ants, just one of a million, and lose the meaning of us being here: sharing different ideas and personas that enrich our lives and give us fulfilling relationships. Does making similar people interfere with the law of nature, which before now was the only factor in determining who we are? Then comes the legal matters that appear with the application of this knowledge. When people alter the natural cycle of life that has been in place for millions of years, there are going to have to be rules in place so that this sensitive data does not fall into the wrong hands, become misused, or have the huge negative impact on society that it has the possibility of having.