benefits/issue of genetic engineering

Question 1

what are the benefits of genetic engineering to the society?

Answer 1

1. produce new strains of crops resistant to pesticides and diseases
2. produce plants with enhanced nutritional value
3. variety of hormones can be produced in large scale-lower cost

Question 2

what are the 4 potential issues of genetic engineering?

Answer 2

1. environmental issue
2. health issue
3. economic issue
4. social and ethical issue

Question 3

what are the environmental issues?

Answer 3

1. more pesticides-crops have ability to synthesise own pesticides
2. disruption to ecology-organisms feeding on plants are killed

Question 4

what are the health issues?

Answer 4

1. allergic reactions-food can contain unknown allergies
2. toxins- cause unexpected mutations in plants, new toxins in food-serious health problems
3. antibiotic resistant bacteria- contain genes which counter resist antibiotics

Question 5

what are the economic issues?

Answer 5

1. high cost patented seeds- farmers who lack finance to purchase suffer
2. widespread crop failure- contain similar genes- diseases which attack crops will cause widespread destruction

Question 6

what are the social and ethical issues?

Answer 6

1. religious oppositions- religions believe is unnatural act
2. offspring abnormalities- produce wide range of deformties